"An officer of the Gardes du Corps, wearing the cross of St. Louis, stands with a drawn sword before a door leading to a long room or gallery. Within stands Louis XVI holding the Dauphin by the hand, while Marie Antoinette takes his right arm. Above their heads is etched 'Save us from treatcherous Friends'. The officer says, "I find there's treachery - but I'll defend my King & Family to the last Drop of my blood". In his hat is a favour inscribed 'Vive le Rot'. Hiding behind an arched doorway (right) are two people dressed as women, wearing cloaks and hats; each clutches a dagger, and below the petticoat of the foremost, Orléans, protrudes a spurred boot. He says "Where shall we hide our selves - my Plot is marr'd." His companion, Mirabeau, who is on the extreme right, says, "Damnable fool thus to serve Your purpose & risk - a la Lanterne". They are identified in a contemporary hand as 'O-----ns' and 'M ... b .. u'. Orleans is a recognizable portrait. On the wall between the officer and the conspirators is a crucifix above a receptacle for holy-water."--British Museum catalogue
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Publisher's advertisement following imprint: Where may be seen the completest collection of caricatures &c. also the head & hand of Count Struenzee, admittance 1 shill., Temporary local subject terms: French Revolution -- French military uniforms -- Garde du Corps., Watermark: countermark T W., Upper right corner torn resulting in loss of text., and Orléans and Mirabeau identified in contemporary hand below image.
Publisher:
Pubd. August 19, 1790, by W.S.[sic] Fores, No. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Name):
Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793, Marie Antoinette, Queen, consort of Louis XVI, King of France, 1755-1793, Louis XVII, of France, 1785-1795, Orléans, Louis Philippe Joseph, duc d', 1747-1793, and Mirabeau, Honoré-Gabriel de Riqueti, comte de, 1749-1791
"Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette seated on chairs at Varennes while an armed and ferocious mob invades the room through an open door (left); the approach of an angry crowd is suggested by a sea of heads, above which weapons are raised. The King sits full face, the Queen beside him in profile to the left and on the extreme right. One ruffian presents a blunderbuss at the Queen, another, yelling, threatens the King with a pistol and sabre. A soldier (left) advances with his musket cocked towards the little Dauphin, who has fallen on his back at the King's feet, having apparently been pushed over by the soldier's bayonet. A man wearing only a bonnet rouge and a shirt advances with a dagger in each hand; behind him is a man with a raised hammer in one hand, a broom in the other."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
French democrats surprising the royal runaways
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Temporary local subject terms: Invasion of Varennes -- Allusion to French Revolution -- French democrats -- Fugitives -- Weapons: sabres -- Guns: blunderbass -- Muskets with bayonettes -- Daggers -- Emblems: bonnet rouge -- French revolutionary cockade -- Brooms -- Hammers.
Publisher:
Pubd. June 27th, 1791, by H. Humphrey, No. 18 Old Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793, Louis XVII, of France, 1785-1795, and Marie Antoinette, Queen, consort of Louis XVI, King of France, 1755-1793
"Louis XVI sits fatly at a table, carving large pieces from a roast bird, a rolled paper in his pocket inscribed 'Route de Melz'; he turns back to an obsequiously grinning officer wearing a wig and ruffled collar and sleeves, who approaches from an open door to right, bowing and presenting an 'Ordre of la municipalite poor l'Arret de Monsieur Louis de Bourbon', the king saying 'Je me f- de tout cela Laisse moi manger tranqillement'; in the doorway are seen a short man with the fleur-de-lis on his arm and a whip who comments, 'Voila but for his dam guts we had been safe out of their reach', and five heavy-looking soldiers, all with skull-and-crossbone motifs on their bearskin hats. To left, Marie Antoinette stands looking in a mirror, adjusting her neckerchief and saying 'Come my dear Louis havn't you finish'd your two Turkeys & drank your six bottles, you know we shall dine at Mont medy', a fine hat on the chair in front of her. Behind to left, the Dauphin sits grimacing on a water-closet, clutching at himself; his nurse approaches him with a beaker and spoon, saying 'aha! mon Petit Bourbon de shi-ten luck be de good Luck'. On the wall, three frames, the first, titled 'Louis 14', shows a preening figure, nude to the waist with a fistful of thunderbolts, standing on the back of a prostrate figure with several others abject at his feet, a temple to right; the second lacks a picture, but has an upside-down notice stuck in it, reading 'Par le roy'; the third, 'Juillet 14 1789', is the storming of the Bastille."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from caption below image., Publisher's advertisement following imprint: ... where may be seen the largest collection of caracatures [sic] in the world, admita[nc]e 1 shilling., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Not in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires., Mounted to 41 x 56 cm., Watermark., German translation of title in contemporary hand at bottom of sheet., and Numbered in ms. in lower left corner of sheet: 369.
Publisher:
Pub. July 24, 1791, by S.W. Fores, N. 3 Piccadilly ...
Subject (Geographic):
France
Subject (Name):
Louis XVI, King of France, 1754-1793, Louis XVII, of France, 1785-1795, and Marie Antoinette, Queen, consort of Louis XVI, King of France, 1755-1793
