"Napoleon, in frenzied passion (cf. BMSat 9998), has risen from his chair at a round breakfast table, overturning it. He has seized the massive urn and is about to bang it on the head of Talleyrand whom he holds by the ear, while kicking him behind. Talleyrand, terrified, drops two papers: 'Defaite de I'Armée Francois en Calabria' and 'la Prise de Buenos-Ayres'. His bag-wig flies off. He wears gown, bands, and rosary over his suit, and has the usual heightened shoe, which indicates his lameness. Napoleon says with savage ferocity: ""Out on ye Owl! - noting but song of Death?" ['Richard III', IV. iv]. The breakfast combines informality with pomp. Napoleon wears a cap and a dressing-gown over his military tunic with slippers and ungartered stockings. His upright chair is close to Josephine's armchair. The small table was covered with (gold) tea and coffee things, a dish of fruit, a dish of boiled eggs, a bottle of wine and one glass, bread and a bread knife; all these slide to the ground, with a newspaper, 'The Moniteur', on which headings are legible: 'Projet pour Subjuger le Monde [cf. BMSats 10558, 10762,10997] - Great Britain - Russia Swed[en] - Turkey - Persia - Chim . . - Cariby [sic] . . .' Boiling water from the urn cascades into Josephine's lap; its lid is an imperial crown which flies off, its body a terrestrial globe. Josephine, much bejewelled, and wearing a crown which falls off, is in déshabillé; she throws up her arms in terror; her tea-cup falls. On the r. are ranks of diplomats or messengers, proffering papers: Holland, a clumsy Dutch burgher, kneeling, holds out 'Holland Starving! - & ripe for a Revolt'. An Austrian officer, also kneeling, holds out 'All Germany Rising, & Arming en Masse'. An erect Swedish officer holds out 'Swedish Defiance - Charles ye XII Redivivus'. An abjectly kneeling Spaniard holds 'Spain in Despair for the loss of her Colonies'. Those behind the first rank stand, holding up their papers: Russia, an oafish fellow in fur-trimmed uniform, holds out: 'St Petersburg - Refusal to Ratify the French Treaty'. A Prussian holds up the cap of a Death's Head Hussar and a paper: 'Prussia rousing from her Trance of Death'. Behind him is a Turk, his paper: 'Turkey Invoking Mahomet'. A plainly dressed Swiss holds up: 'Switzerland cursing the French Yoke'. The other envoys, hidden behind their companions, are represented only by outstretched arms; these hold out: 'Suspicions of the new Confederated States of ye Rhine'; 'Italy shaking off her Chains'; 'La Vendee again in Motion'; 'Portugal True, to the last Gasp'; 'Sicily Firing like Ætna'; 'Denmark waiting for an Opportunity'. In the foreground, on the floor, are papers on which Napoleon had been engaged when interrupted by bad news: an open coffer is inscribed 'Cabinet de Lor Loderdale'; bundles of papers are: 'Preliminairs ... Paix'; 'Negotiation pour la Paix'; 'Termes de Paix Inadmissible [signed] C. J. Fox'; 'Projet pour . . . Pa[? ix . . .] Bel [? gique]'. ..."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Bonaparte, Paolina,--1780-1825--Caricatures and cartoons., Caroline Bonaparte,--consort of Joachim Murat, King of Naples,--1782-1839--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Josephine,--Empress, consort of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French,--1763-1814--Caricatures and cartoons., Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., Piombino, Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi,--principessa di,--1777-1820--Caricatures and cartoons., and Talleyrand-Périgord, Charles Maurice de,--prince de Bénévent,--1754-1838--Caricatures and cartoons.
"Napoleon and Josephine are in the centre of an elaborate processional design. Individuals and groups are identified by eleven captions in the lower margin. The background is formed of close ranks of French soldiers, with a forest of caps, spears, pikes, and banners receding in perspective. The front row, facing the procession, are grenadiers at attention with bayoneted muskets, the letter 'N' in front of their bearskins. They are in shadow; those behind Napoleon are obscured by dense clouds of smoke from a censer; next them (l.) grenadiers blow trumpets and French horns. The procession is led, as by a drum-major, by the posturing and theatrical figure of 'His Imperial Highness Prince Louis-Buonaparte Marbœuf - High Constable of the Empire' [Marbeuf was his godfather] on the extreme right. He wears tight-fitting archaic dress, with a feathered coronet, a cloak trailing from one shoulder, buskins, and sabre. He carries a tall staff surmounted by a fleur-de-lis. Next come 'The Three Imperial Graces, viz. Thier Imp. Highs Princess Borghese [Pauline], Princess. Louis (cher amie of ye Emperor) & Princess Joseph-Bonaparte' [Hortense and Julie] - three slim young women, very scantily draped, scatter roses. All wear feathered coronets with long snaky curls on their shoulders; they resemble the sisters of Napoleon in BMSat 10072. The ground (l. to r.) is strewn with the flowers they have scattered. Next walks 'Madame Talleyrand (ci devant Mrs Halhead the Prophetess conducting the Heir Apparent in ye Path of Glory'. A grossly fat woman leads by the hand the little Napoleon-Charles, son of Louis (b. 10 Oct. 1802). The child goose-steps arrogantly, holding out a sceptre in his left hand. He is dressed much like his father, but with the addition of a ribbon and star. Mme Talleyrand wears a feathered coronet and an enormous nosegay; she holds a fan on which is a goat. This, and her patched face, indicate her dissolute past. Slightly behind her, and on her right., hobbles 'Talleyrand-Perigord. - Prime Minister & King at Arms bearing the Emperor's Geneology.' He is burlesqued, with a 'cheese-cutter' shin, and a r. foot supported by blocks under the shoe. On his left. shoulder he carries a framed genealogical tree, and hung to his person are crests and symbols in rectangular frames. Napoleon's family tree issues from 'Buone Butcher' and, passing through 'Buone Cuckold', terminates in 'Napoleone Emperor', which is crowned. The collateral branches are illegible, but one is followed by 'Hang'd'. ..."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Title etched above image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Augereau, Pierre,--1757-1816--Caricatures and cartoons., Berthier, Louis-Alexandre,--1753-1815--Caricatures and cartoons., Bonaparte, Paolina,--1780-1825--Caricatures and cartoons., Fesch, Joseph,--1763-1839--Caricatures and cartoons., Fouché, Joseph,--duc d'Otrante,--1759-1820--Caricatures and cartoons., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Hortense,--Queen, consort of Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland,--1783-1837--Caricatures and cartoons., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., Josephine,--Empress, consort of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French,--1763-1814--Caricatures and cartoons., María-Julia,--Queen, consort of Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain,--1771-1845--Caricatures and cartoons., Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., Pius--VII,--Pope,--1742-1823--Caricatures and cartoons., Talleyrand-Périgord, Catherine Noël,--princesse de Bénévent,--1762-1835--Caricatures and cartoons., and Talleyrand-Périgord, Charles Maurice de,--prince de Bénévent,--1754-1838--Caricatures and cartoons.
"Napoleon presides at a feast with Josephine seated on his left. A sumptuous dessert is on the table, with dishes moulded to represent English buildings, &c. Napoleon has begun to devour 'St James's', but has dropped his fork, and looks round in horror at the words 'Mene Mene, Tekel, Upharsin' (l.) at which the arm of Jehovah points. This emerges from clouds, the other arm holds over the head of Napoleon a pair of scales; one, inscribed 'Vive le Roi', contains a crown and outweighs the other, 'Despotism', which flies in the air, spilling the contents, shackles and a bonnet rouge. The room is lined with grenadiers at attention, with drawn sabres and pistols in their belts; they are partly obscured by clouds, but their eyes are turned to the writing on the wall. This is also seen by three grenadiers who stand rigidly behind Napoleon's chair, their sabres dripping blood, their eyes turned to the left. Of those at the feast only Napoleon has seen the message, but the general on his right. looks with alarm at his master who has overturned three bottles of wine. The others are absorbed in food or women. Josephine, grossly fat, drinks avidly, spilling her wine. Behind her chair stand three slim and meretricious young women, looking down at her: they are scantily clad, with hair arranged in the French manner in snaky ringlets. They are Napoleon's three sisters, Elisa, Pauline, and Caroline. The upper end of the table stretches across the foreground. On the extreme left. Arthur O'Connor, the only civilian, ogles a lady, holding her chin and offering her a dish of 'Pommes d'Am[our]', while she holds up a tumbler of wine. In front of him is a decanter labelled 'Maidstone'. Between this lady and the general on Napoleon's r. is a grotesque officer greedily devouring a large fragment of the 'Tower de Londres'. An officer (r.) ogles a woman with whom he drinks wine. All the women have the patched faces that in these prints indicate dissoluteness. Two of the officers have the plucked scalp of the Frenchman in BMSat 9960. Before Napoleon is a dish containing the 'Bank of England', flying a tricolour flag. The back of his chair is decorated with a carved eagle or vulture whose eyes are turned to the fatal message. Before Josephine is a dish inscribed 'Prune Monsieur' containing two plums; beside it are two bottles of 'Maraschino', one overturned. The decollated head of a bishop fills a dish inscribed 'Oh de Roast Beef of Old England'. Wine, fruit, and jelly-glasses fill the spaces on the table."--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
Handwriting upon the wall
Description:
Title etched below image.
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Bonaparte, Paolina,--1780-1825--Caricatures and cartoons., Caroline Bonaparte,--consort of Joachim Murat, King of Naples,--1782-1839--Caricatures and cartoons., Gillray, James, 1756-1815, publisher., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Josephine,--Empress, consort of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French,--1763-1814--Caricatures and cartoons., Napoleon--I,--Emperor of the French,--1769-1821--Caricatures and cartoons., O'Connor, Arthur,--1763-1852--Caricatures and cartoons., and Piombino, Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi,--principessa di,--1777-1820--Caricatures and cartoons.
