"Louis XVIII, grotesquely obese (left), and the Tsar kiss, their lips touching. Louis, whose head is much the larger, grasps the back of Alexander's head; the Tsar bends from the waist to reach beyond the King's paunch. Louis, with the gouty legs and old-fashioned gold-embroidered coat and waistcoat of English caricature, wears the order of the Saint Esprit. The Tsar, in uniform, has the high pinched waist and bulging breast of the dandy (cf. British Museum Satires No. 13029) with enormous cavalry boots to the thigh, huge epaulets, and a sash, but no sword. He says: "My Dear Legitimate Brother (tho I believe I call Boney the same) I am happy to serve you tho your cursed Country Men almost destroyed my country--" Louis answers: "Ma Chere [sic] Ami, I am so rejoiced at your Brotherly Kindness in putting off our payment & takeing off your Troops that I could Devour you." The embrace is watched by two Frenchmen on the left, and on the right by the King of Prussia, the Emperor of Austria, and a young man (? Napoleon's son). Frederick William wears dandified uniform like that of the Tsar but with long trousers; he supports a large sword hanging from a belt, and holds a huge cocked hat; he watches the embrace with distaste, saying, "I am obliged to follow the Leaders at Present." Francis I says: "I must agree for the moment but I have a Grandson." One Frenchman wears uniform with top-boots; he says: "De Legitimate francais be too much for John Bull de manoeuvre by Gar ve want de Time & we show dem vat ve intend." His companion, an elderly man wearing a court suit with a powdered wig (Richelieu attended the Conference on behalf of France) says delightedly: "Ah-ha he do him vid Compliments & den we do them out of the Money." Behind them is a row of melancholy knock-kneed Grenadiers."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Political-dandies
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from the British Museum catalogue., and Sheet trimmed to plate mark on top edge.
Publisher:
Pub. Nov. 18, 1818, by S.W. Fores, 50 Piccadilli [sic] & 114 Oxford Street
Subject (Name):
Louis XVIII, King of France, 1755-1824, Alexander I, Emperor of Russia, 1777-1825, Frederick William III, King of Prussia, 1770-1840, Francis I, Emperor of Austria, 1768-1835, Bonaparte, François-Charles-Joseph, Herzog von Reichstadt, 1811-1832, and Richelieu, Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, duc de, 1766-1822
Subject (Topic):
Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle, Heads of state, Kings, Summit meetings, Kissing, Obesity, and Dandies
