A Series of Eight Caricatures of Napoleon III (four cards, recto–verso) / Anonymous, c. 1866–1867.
Artist
Character/Sitter
Napoléon III [Bonapart, Charles Louis Napoléon] (French, 1808–1873)
Set of four small cardstock sheets (90 × 120 mm), each drawn on both recto and verso, comprising eight caricatures in total. Graphite on card, executed in a rapid hand with light shading. Each side bears handwritten French captions and inscriptions. The sheets are unmounted and uniform in size and material.
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1A (recto) Convention du 15 7bre (Convention of 15 September) Question d’évacuation (Question of evacuation) Note: Refers to the September Convention of 1864. |
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1B (verso) Cette sacrée nom de Dieu de démocratie l’emportera donc toujours !!! (That damned, God-forsaken democracy will therefore always prevail!!!) Note: Napoleon III stands between the Papacy (Pius IX) and the Italian monarchy (Victor Emmanuel II). |
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2A (recto) Bon d’échanges d’actions du Mexique (Exchange bond for Mexican shares) |
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2B (verso) à la recherche de Maximilien (In search of Maximilian) Note: Refers to the fiasco of Napoleon III’s Mexican campaign (1861–1867), culminating in the collapse of Maximilian’s regime and his execution in 1867. |
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3A (recto) Je vais me foutre par terre (I’m going to collapse) On the balloons: Question Mexicaine (Mexican Question – French intervention in Mexico, 1861–1867) Réforme de année (Reform of the year – constitutional and liberal reforms of 1864–67) Question Romaine (Roman Question – see September Convention) Question Allemande (German Question – consequences of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866) |
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3B (verso) Rome (Rome, on the syringe) Vils flatteurs !!! inutile. il n’y a plus de remise. Ni moi ni mes troupes ne retournerons sur le Pô (Vile flatterers!!! Useless. There are no more concessions. Neither I nor my troops will return to the Po — refers to the River Po in Italy) |
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4A (recto) La France (France, on a headband) J’en ai plein le dos (I’ve had enough) |
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4B (verso) Je ne suis pas bien joli, mais je suis Cochon. (I am not very handsome, but I am a pig.) |
Additional Information
| Collection | European prints and drawings , French caricatures |
|---|---|
| Type / Purpose | Caricature , Drawing |
| Period | 19 AD , Mid-19th century , Second French Empire (1852–1870) |
| Country | France |
| Media/Technique | Graphite , Paper , Pencil , Wove paper |
| Language | French |
| Subject | Austro-Prussian War (1866) , Caricature , Drawing , France , Mexican Intervention (1861–1867) , Napoléon III [Bonapart, Charles Louis Napoléon] (French, 1808 – 1873) , Political reform (France) , Political satire , Roman Question , Satire , Second Empire (France) , Second French Empire |
| Creation / Publishing year | 1866 , 1867 |
| Location | BOX 28. |
| Acquisition year | 2026 |
