"A skeleton, Death (left), seated on a cannon, his elbows on his knees, faces Napoleon, not caricatured, in a similar attitude on a drum. The 'two Kings' gaze fixedly at each other, Death menacing, Napoleon as if trying to read a terrifying riddle. Death's left foot rests on a cannon-ball, the right on the broken shaft of an eagle. Behind is a symbolical representation of the battle. The Allies advance from the left in regular formation with bayonets levelled at fleeing French soldiers. Four flags, with the eagles of Russia, Prussia, and Austria, and the Swedish cross, are held up by standard-bearers in the third rank: they recede in perspective from left to right. On the left wing are two hussars, riding down the fugitives. The main French army is streaming in wild confusion up and over a hill, diminishing in perspective. Other soldiers, pursued by hussars, flee down a hill behind Napoleon (right). Bodies of Frenchmen lie on the ground."--British Museum online catalogue, description of an earlier state.
Description:
For an earlier state lacking the etched title and serving as the heading to a printed broadside entitled "The two kings of terror," see no. 12093 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 9., Publisher and date of publication from Grego., and Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Ackermann, Rudolph, 1764-1834, publisher., Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., and Rowlandson, Thomas, 1756-1827, artist.
"An altered version (like British Museum Satires No. 12205) of British Museum Satires No. 11057, from the original plate. ... The shield, sinister supporter, crest and motto are the same, but the dexter supporter is altered, apparently by Rowlandson, from 'The French Devil' (Talleyrand, now a supporter of Louis XVIII) to Death, a skeleton holding up an hour-glass. This has necessitated the re-drawing of the Gallic cock at his feet, but it pecks at a crucifix as before. The (printed) text is as before (allusions to Jaffa, d'Enghien, &c.) except for the addition to the title and the descriptions of the supporters: '. . . The Gallic Cock, vainly pecking the crucifix, is symbolic of the Corsican's impiety.' The description of 'The Corsican Devil' is altered to 'Satan, wearing an Iron Crown,... cutting down the Cap of Liberty, and accompanied by the Serpent and Hyaena, the attributes of the Corsican Emperor's wily and sanguinary reign'. The inscriptions (now obsolete) hanging from the mouth of the hyena are altered to: 'Cambaceres', 'Davoust', 'Augereau', 'Sebastiani', 'Vandamme', 'Savory'."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Attributed to George Cruikshank in the British Museum online catalogue, registration no.: 1978,U.827., Date of publication from British Museum catalogue., Imperfect; sheet trimmed within plate mark with substantial loss of letterpress text, including publisher's and printer's statements, from bottom edge. Missing text supplied from impression in the British Museum., Six lines of letterpress text, followed by four additional columns of text, below title: ... the tyrant of France, who created himself Emperor of the French 18th May 1803 ..., and Title from letterpress text below image.
Subject (Name):
Ackermann, Rudolph, 1764-1834, publisher., Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Enghien, Louis-Antoine-Henri de Bourbon,--duc d',--1772-1804--Caricatures and cartoons., Ferdinand--VII,--King of Spain,--1784-1833--Caricatures and cartoons., Harrison & Leigh, publisher., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., Pius--VII,--Pope,--1742-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., and Wright, John Wesley,--1769-1805--Caricatures and cartoons.
"Heading to a printed broadside. A copy of British Museum Satires No. 12177, with the same inscriptions, except that 'f' is omitted after the rivers and 'Veichsel' (Vistula) is spelt 'Weichsel R. Ehrefort' ['loss of honour' punningly combined with Erfurt, scene of Napoleon's triumph in 1808, and his headquarters before Leipzig; cf. British Museum Satires No. 12248] is on a red ribbon. The web is larger in proportion to the coat, the spider much larger in proportion to the web. On the collar are waves of the sea, with an inconspicuous ship. On the cuff is 'R' (for Regent), round the wrist 'Honi Soit', on the fingers are the letters 'A', 'R', 'P', 'S', 'E' (for the Allies)."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Copy of a print by Johann Michael Voltz. See British Museum catalogue., Date of publication from British Museum catalogue., Imperfect; sheet trimmed within plate mark on three sides, and sheet trimmed on bottom edge with loss of printer's statement. Missing text supplied from impression in the British Museum., Publisher's and printer's statements in letterpress at bottom of sheet; additional imprint statement "Pubd. by R. Ackermann, 101 Strand, London" is etched below image., Title from letterpress text below image., and Twenty lines of letterpress text below title: The first, and last, by the wrath of Heaven Emperor of the Jacobins, Protector of the Confederation of Rogues, Mediator of the Hellish League ...
Publisher:
R. Ackermann, 101 Strand
Subject (Name):
Ackermann, Rudolph, 1764-1834, publisher., Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Harrison & Leigh, publisher., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., and Voltz, Johann Michael, 1784-1858, artist.