Napoleons stuffen jahre

This satire is one example of a type common in German print satires of Napoleon. In it Napoleon's life is described in two parts: first as a series of steps leading up to the apex of his career--his coronation as Emperor of France. Second, as a decline, represented as a gradual slope leading to his exile. The events that exemplify his rise and fall are laid out as a linear progression on the sheet of paper and travel from left to right. Yet, according to the satire, Napoleon has come full circle and is returned to his humble, if not disgraceful, origins. This point is made clear in the proximity of the representations of Corsica and Elba in the upper right of the image. The steps leading upwards begin with Napoleon's youth, where he is shown as a "Corsischer Knabe." The steps leading to his coronation focus on his military successes and promotions. The steps leading to his exile are examples of military failures: he is shown being chased from Spain, Moscow, Germany, and eventually from continental Europe. This satire is one example of a type common in German print satires of Napoleon. In it Napoleon's life is described in two parts: first as a series of steps leading up to the apex of his career--his coronation as Emperor of France. Second, as a decline, represented as a gradual slope leading to his exile. The events that exemplify his rise and fall are laid out as a linear progression on the sheet of paper and travel from left to right. Yet, according to the satire, Napoleon has come full circle and is returned to his humble, if not disgraceful, origins. This point is made clear in the proximity of the representations of Corsica and Elba in the upper right of the image. The steps leading upwards begin with Napoleon's youth, where he is shown as a "Corsischer Knabe." The steps leading to his coronation focus on his military successes and promotions. The steps leading to his exile are examples of military failures: he is shown being chased from Spain, Moscow, Germany, and eventually from continental Europe. This satire belongs to a genre of Napoleonic satires often referred to as "Napoleons Stufenjahre." Caption: Inscribed on the steps, (l. to r.): "Corsischer Knabe," "Mülitair Schüler," "Glücksritter zu Paris," "General," "Herrscher," "Grossherscher," "Abschied aus Spanien," "Schlittenfahrt aus Moscau," "Lebervohl aus Deutschland," "Ende."