Napoleon Le Grand

Raised on a pole, Napoleon's scowling head occupies the center of the image. A ring of entwined serpents frames his head over which the words "POLAR STAR" are inscribed. George notes that the serpents take the place of the laurel leaves used in the original engraving, and that the pole on which Napoleon's head is here impaled further vilifies the icon. Texts describing Napoleon's evil deeds emanate like rays from Napoleon's bust. In the upper right of this series of rays, a fat smoking Dutchman astride a barrel empties its contents onto the star. The barrel is inscribed "Dutch Comet" and contains liquid. At the top of the image, slightly off-center, the bust of a horned Devil grins from underneath a crown inscribed "Damnation." Two shields are placed under the bust: the one on the left bears an anatomically accurate heart and is labeled "Heart of a Tyrant." The shield on the right bears the image of a "Vulture," which takes the place of the Hapsburg double eagle. In addition to the shields, a scourge (l.) and a pitch fork (r.) also spring from the base of the Devil's head. Two eagles at the bottom of the sheet use their wings to support a swag labeled "Napoleon Le Grand." Behind the eagles, a half-globe rises from the bottom of the image. The globe is inaccurately drawn and colored in its representation of Mediterranean Europe. To the left and right of this rising globe, pikes, axes and eagle standards are arranged in clusters. The group on the right is decked with a banner labeled "Flags manufactured for the Empress." The print is in good condition. It shows some discoloration with age and has mended tears on the lower right edge. Raised on a pole, Napoleon's scowling head occupies the center of the image. A ring of entwined serpents frames his head over which the words "POLAR STAR" are inscribed. George notes that the serpents take the place of the laurel leaves used in the original engraving, and that the pole on which Napoleon's head is here impaled further vilifies the icon. Texts describing Napoleon's evil deeds emanate like rays from Napoleon's bust. In the upper right of this series of rays, a fat smoking Dutchman astride a barrel empties its contents onto the star. The barrel is inscribed "Dutch Comet" and contains liquid. At the top of the image, slightly off-center, the bust of a horned Devil grins from underneath a crown inscribed "Damnation." Two shields are placed under the bust: the one on the left bears an anatomically accurate heart and is labeled "Heart of a Tyrant." The shield on the right bears the image of a "Vulture," which takes the place of the Hapsburg double eagle. In addition to the shields, a scourge (l.) and a pitch fork (r.) also spring from the base of the Devil's head. Two eagles at the bottom of the sheet use their wings to support a swag labeled "Napoleon Le Grand." Behind the eagles, a half-globe rises from the bottom of the image. The globe is inaccurately drawn and colored in its representation of Mediterranean Europe. To the left and right of this rising globe, pikes, axes and eagle standards are arranged in clusters. The group on the right is decked with a banner labeled "Flags manufactured for the Empress." The print is in good condition. It shows some discoloration with age and has mended tears on the lower right edge. Published by R. Ackermann. George describes this satire as a 'travesty of a French print, an apotheosis of Napoleon by Tardieu after Dabos.' Rowlandson, the engraver to whom this print is ascribed, has altered the image to include diabolic elements signalling Napoleon's evil affinity and condemnation to Hell. [1813-12-21] Caption: Astre brillant, immense, il éclaire, il feconde, /Et seul fait, a son gré, tous les destins du monde, Vigée. Caption: To be had at R. Ackermann's 101 Strand, London Inscription: Inventée par Dabos, Alex Tardieu Effigiem Delt., Deposée à la Biblothèque Impereale. Annotation: c1814, 7-50 Collector's Mark: A List: "Assisting in the Assassination of Louis the 16th my Benefactor" "Murdering the Citizens of Paris under Roberspierre" "Murdering the Citizens of Toulon" "Insulting the Pope robbing and plundering the Churches &c., &c." "Poisoning my own Sick Soldiers in the Hospital at Jaffa" "Murdering the Duke Danguilme" "Treacherously betraying the king of Spain and his family" "Murdering the inhabitants of Madrid in Cold Blood." "Murdering Captain Wright in the Temple at Paris" "Marrying two Wives and intriguing with the Daughter of one of them" "The Murder of Palm of Hoffer &c., &c." "Leading 500,000 Frenchmen to perish in Russia by the Severity of the Season 1812" "Losing another similar Army the following Year in Germany 1813" "Writing Lying Bulletins" "Losing all the Colonies, Commerce and Shipping" "and for all these brilliant Exploits am now to be sent headlong to the Devil"