Russians teaching Boney to dance

A peaceful landscape bordered by hills, a lake, and tall trees, forms a backdrop to this image. In the center of the image Napoleon is forced by a Russian peasant wielding a whip (r.) to jump and dance to the tune of a hornpipe played by another peasant who is seated on a boulder (l.). Arms stretched out for balance, Napoleon awkwardly hops from one tip of his pointed boots to the other. Comically, the shoulders of Napoleon's elaborate uniform have risen to the tops of his ears, knocking his hat off his head. His head is turned in profile to face the figure with a whip, and he appears to be shouting for mercy, or in pain. The seated peasant playing the horn leans forward while tilting his head toward Napoleon. Consumed by the effort of his music, his cheeks are puffed full of air, and his eyes open wide as he watches his fingers on the body of the instrument. His earnest gestures are in keeping with the plain clothing in which he is dressed. The small hat perched flatly on top of his head, and his bare feet underscore the simplicity of his music. The peasant who directs Napoleon's dance with his whip is like wise dressed in simple clothing. Yet he wears shoes and breeches with gaiters. This second peasant stands on the right of the image with his back to the viewer, and his face in profile. With his left hand he points at the ground beneath Napoleon's feet, while he raises the whip with his right. A peaceful landscape bordered by hills, a lake, and tall trees, forms a backdrop to this image. In the center of the image Napoleon is forced by a Russian peasant wielding a whip (r.) to jump and dance to the tune of a hornpipe played by another peasant who is seated on a boulder (l.). Arms stretched out for balance, Napoleon awkwardly hops from one tip of his pointed boots to the other. Comically, the shoulders of Napoleon's elaborate uniform have risen to the tops of his ears, knocking his hat off his head. His head is turned in profile to face the figure with a whip, and he appears to be shouting for mercy, or in pain. The seated peasant playing the horn leans forward while tilting his head toward Napoleon. Consumed by the effort of his music, his cheeks are puffed full of air, and his eyes open wide as he watches his fingers on the body of the instrument. His earnest gestures are in keeping with the plain clothing in which he is dressed. The small hat perched flatly on top of his head, and his bare feet underscore the simplicity of his music. The peasant who directs Napoleon's dance with his whip is like wise dressed in simple clothing. Yet he wears shoes and breeches with gaiters. This second peasant stands on the right of the image with his back to the viewer, and his face in profile. With his left hand he points at the ground beneath Napoleon's feet, while he raises the whip with his right. Title is in cyrillic script. Published by Hannah Humphrey. This plate belongs to a series of caricatures and satires that George Cruikshank etched based on Russian prints. In the British Museum entry on this caricature, Mary George compares the Russian print by Terebenev to Cruikshank's version and notes that Cruikshank made many alterations to the original composition. (Terebenev's print is reproduced in Broadley, ii-175). 1813-18-05 Caption: If you trespass on our grounds; you must dance to our tunes. Caption: Pubd May 18 1813 by H Humphrey St. James's Street Collector's Mark: A Collector's Mark: [a triangle]