"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.
"A travesty of a French print, an apotheosis of Napoleon by Tardieu after Dabos. As in the original, the title is on a piece of fringed drapery between two naturalistic eagles; these flank an arc of the globe, its northern summit, more flattened than in the original. On the globe is a map, with 'France' in the centre, flanked (left) by 'Golfe of Venice' and 'Italy' and (right) 'Espagne' and 'Pologne'. On the north are 'Amsterdam Pres Unie' [sic] and 'Whestphalia'. From the summit of the globe rises a pole supporting the face of Napoleon, copied from the original but with the addition of a melancholy frown and transformed by the pole into a decollated head. It is inscribed 'Polar Star' and enclosed in a circle of writhing serpents which takes the place of a laurel wreath. Rays extend from the circle over the greater part of the design, with inscriptions radiating outwards: 'Assisting in the Assassination of Louis the 16th my Benefactor'; 'Murdering the Citizens of Paris under Roberspierre' [cf. British Museum Satires No. 9534]; 'Murdering the Citizens of Toulon' [see British Museum Satires No. 10095]; 'Insulting the Pope robbing and plundering the Churches &c &c.' [see British Museum Satires No. 8997]; 'Poisoning my own Sick Soldiers in the Hospital at Jaffa' [see British Museum Satires No. 10063]; 'Murdering the Duke Danguilme' [d' Enghien, see British Museum Satires No. 10251]; 'Treacherously betraying the king of Spain and his Family' [see British Museum Satires No. 10990]; 'Murdering the inhabitants of Madrid in cold Blood' [see British Museum Satires No. 11000]; 'Murdering Captain Wright in the Temple at Paris' [see British Museum Satires No. 11057]; 'Marrying two Wives and intriguing with the Daughter of one of them' [Hortense, cf. British Museum Satires No. 10362]; 'The Murder of Palm [see British Museum Satires No. 11053] of Hoffer &c &c.'; 'Leading 500000 Frenchmen to perish in Russia by the Severity of the Season 1812' [see British Museum Satires No. 11917, &c.]; 'Loosing another similar Army the following Year in Germany 1813' [see British Museum Satires No. 12093]; 'Writing lying Bulletins' [see British Museum Satires No. 11920]; 'Loosing all the Colonies Commerce and Shipping' [cf. British Museum Satires No. 10439, &c.]. At this point, in the upper right corner, an open cask inscribed 'Dutch Comet', divides the inscriptions. A fat Dutchman smoking a pipe sits astride it; he directs the contents of the cask against Napoleon (see British Museum Satires No. 12102). The final inscription: 'And for all these brilliant Exploits am now to be sent headlong to the Devil.' In the original the rays are faintly inscribed 'Marie Louise' and 'Roi de Rome'. The design is surmounted by the head of the Devil wearing a spiky crown inscribed 'Damnation', between two oval shields: on one a heart, 'Heart of a Tyrant', on the other a 'Vulture'. These emblems replace a crown between two shields, one with the Napoleonic eagle, the other with the Habsburg eagle. From this centre-piece flames and smoke (replacing olive branches) stream left and right, with a scourge and a barbed trident. The lower corners are decorated with trophies slanting outwards from the eagles: spears, eagles, axes, &c., one spear supporting a placard: 'Flags manufactured for the Empress'. In the original spears are faintly indicated."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Astre brillant, immense, il éclaire, il feconde ...
Description:
"Deposée a le Bibloteque Impereale [sic]."--Below lower right corner of image., Attributed to Rowlandson in the British Museum catalogue., Date of publication from British Museum catalogue; Grego gives a date of 14 December 1813., Title from text in image., and Two lines of text below image: Astre brillant, immense, il éclaire, il feconde, et seul fait, a son gré, tous les destins du monde, 'Vigée.'
Publisher:
R. Ackermann, 101 Strand
Subject (Name):
Ackermann, Rudolph, 1764-1834, publisher., Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., and Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons.
"Napoleon, on a galloping horse, is confronted by Blücher (right) who fires a blunderbuss at close range. He is pursued by Wellington (left) who gallops towards him, sabre in hand. Napoleon has lost his stirrups; he faces Blücher with arms thrown wide in a gesture of despair. His crown flies from his head, and six eagles (or geese) fly off to the left, above Wellington. In the background, among smoke, cavalry in wild flight (right) and wild pursuit (left) are indicated."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Rudolph Ackermann's transparency on the victory of Waterloo
Description:
Printmaker and date of publication from British Museum catalogue. and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
R. Ackermann, 101 Strand
Subject (Name):
Ackermann, Rudolph, 1764-1834, publisher., Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Blücher, Gebhard Leberecht von,--1742-1819--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., and Wellington, Arthur Wellesley,--Duke of,--1769-1852--Caricatures and cartoons.