National contrasts or Bulky and Boney

Contrast prints have long been a common format for print satires. In this image John Bull, the national figure for England, is contrasted with Napoleon Bonaparte, who became the national symbol of France. Seated on the left of the sheet, Bull's prepossessing girth is shocking. His waistcoat can barely contain his large stomach, and his calves are stuffed into his breeches like sausages. Yet Bull appears to enjoy the comforts his excessive life provides. He cheerfully smiles as he puffs on a pipe and mocks Napoleon, who sits opposite him. Surrounding Bull are indicators of the British national wealth. He leans his back on an ill-proportioned table, upon which is set a large roast of beef, a frothy tankard of beer, and a punch bowl; at his feet are a cornucopia overflowing with gold coins and a loyal bulldog, who wears a golden collar on which is inscribed, "John Bull." On the right of the sheet, Napoleon sits perched ramrod straight on an ornate chair. He faces Bull in profile and angrily scowls at the smoke that drifts over him from Bull's pipe. Whereas Bull is all curves and cushioning, Napoleon is represented in angular strokes that betray his thin frame. Comically, Napoleon's hat is over half his size and appears to weigh his head down. The smoke surrounding Napoleon is crowded with disembodied medusa heads labeled "Cruelty," "Envy," and "Horrors." This sheet, depicting two extremes of excess, embodies the ambivalence that satires typically posses. The corpulent figure of Bull recalls images of gluttony and lasciviousness, criticizing the overindulgence of the British population. Napoleon can be allied with greed; he covets the wealth of Bull and of England--this is the reason for his hostile position towards the country. Contrast prints have long been a common format for print satires. In this image John Bull, the national figure for England, is contrasted with Napoleon Bonaparte, who became the national symbol of France. Seated on the left of the sheet, Bull's prepossessing girth is shocking. His waistcoat can barely contain his large stomach, and his calves are stuffed into his breeches like sausages. Yet Bull appears to enjoy the comforts his excessive life provides. He cheerfully smiles as he puffs on a pipe and mocks Napoleon, who sits opposite him. Surrounding Bull are indicators of the British national wealth. He leans his back on an ill-proportioned table, upon which is set a large roast of beef, a frothy tankard of beer, and a punch bowl; at his feet are a cornucopia overflowing with gold coins and a loyal bulldog, who wears a golden collar on which is inscribed, "John Bull." On the right of the sheet, Napoleon sits perched ramrod straight on an ornate chair. He faces Bull in profile and angrily scowls at the smoke that drifts over him from Bull's pipe. Whereas Bull is all curves and cushioning, Napoleon is represented in angular strokes that betray his thin frame. Comically, Napoleon's hat is over half his size and appears to weigh his head down. The smoke surrounding Napoleon is crowded with disembodied medusa heads labeled "Cruelty," "Envy," and "Horrors." This sheet, depicting two extremes of excess, embodies the ambivalence that satires typically posses. The corpulent figure of Bull recalls images of gluttony and lasciviousness, criticizing the overindulgence of the British population. Napoleon can be allied with greed; he covets the wealth of Bull and of England--this is the reason for his hostile position towards the country. Published by Roberts. 1804 Caption: Pubd by Roberts Middlerow Holborn London Annotation: c. 1802