Browse Items (1079 total)
An Emblematical View of the Constitutions of England and France
Similar to the two engravings of trees, this engraving contrasts English order with French anarchy. On the left, a lion (representing England) sits at the foot of a chiseled rock, part of which is labeled "Unanimity." A crown appears over the rock; a…
I Am Called Cerberus but Am Also a Chameleon: Napoleon Being Sucked into Hell
Where once cartoonists focused on classical images of death to signal the doom of monarchs and aristocrats, they now used these same symbols to drag Napoleon into the netherworld.
"This Is My Dear Son": Napoleon as Child of the Devil
Linking Napoleon with Hell represents a far cry from his own propaganda.
"The Exorcism": Ridding France of the Devil Napoleon
The seal in the foreground, with its fleur–de–lys, indicates a return to royalism after France’s liberation from Napoleon. In addition, the secularism associated with the Revolution is countered with the image’s reference to the religious practice of…
"The Little Cartesian Devil": German Peasants Capturing the Little Devil Napoleon
The reversal of circumstances that German cartoonists emphasized seemed generally to exercise considerable sway over this use of symbols. Here, Napoleon, who strode so large over Europe, is bottled and examined. Obsessed with his small stature,…
Six Part German Caricature: Napoleon Is Now Reduced to a Manageable Size!
Napoleon is mocked through this diminutive portrayal of the former conqueror.
"The Great Man"
German cartoonists tried to reduce Napoleon down to size, in this case, the size of mice! Here the mice serve as courtiers.
"Celebrating Napoleon’s Birthday on the Island of St. Helena"
In this cartoon, Napoleon is portrayed as a buffoon, riding a goat in a charge against rodents, mocking his warlike instincts.
"The Great Heroism of the Nineteenth Century"
As in other caricatures, foreigners tried to humiliate Napoleon, once again using mice to represent those who would now attend him.
