Le coup de peigne, ou la toilette avant le départ pour Ste. Hélène

Double entendre, the natural language of satire, is here used visually and textually. Wellington, dressed in a spotless military uniform stands next to Napoleon, who is seated on a boulder. The backdrop to this scene is a calm ocean; the horizon line is punctuated on the far right by a ship that flies a Union Jack. The crisply engraved lines and meticulous hand coloring are typical of French satires. Typical too is the use of ironic language -- rather than grotesque figural distortions -- to convey the humor of the piece. Using the barbershop and hairdressing as a metaphor for conquest and disfiguration, Wellington offers to give Napoleon's hair a final once over with the curling tongs. Somewhat sardonically, Napoleon complains that he has already been shaved, and does not want to be "put to the irons" [passé au fer]. Wellington holds a pair of curling irons in his right hand and reaches around to grasp Napoleon's epaulette with his left. His face is generally expressionless and flat; although he addresses Napoleon, his eyes gaze off to a point beyond the right border of the image. Napoleon is similarly rendered. Drawn in profile, he stares towards the left border of the sheet. He wears a uniform, but has removed his hat so that Wellington, the barber, can wrap tufts of his hair in curling papers imprinted with French military bulletins. Napoleon is also represented with his right hand tucked into the left side of his uniform in a rhetorical pose that becomes a hallmark of portraits and caricatures alike. The general manner in which Wellington and Napoleon are rendered suggests that the engraver may have been copying their portraits from other engraved portraits. For example, their disconnected gazes, carefully delineated facial features, and contrived poses all indicate that this representation is a pastiche of sources. Double entendre, the natural language of satire, is here used visually and textually. Wellington, dressed in a spotless military uniform stands next to Napoleon, who is seated on a boulder. The backdrop to this scene is a calm ocean; the horizon line is punctuated on the far right by a ship that flies a Union Jack. The crisply engraved lines and meticulous hand coloring are typical of French satires. Typical too is the use of ironic language -- rather than grotesque figural distortions -- to convey the humor of the piece. Using the barbershop and hairdressing as a metaphor for conquest and disfiguration, Wellington offers to give Napoleon's hair a final once over with the curling tongs. Somewhat sardonically, Napoleon complains that he has already been shaved, and does not want to be "put to the irons" [passé au fer]. Wellington holds a pair of curling irons in his right hand and reaches around to grasp Napoleon's epaulette with his left. His face is generally expressionless and flat; although he addresses Napoleon, his eyes gaze off to a point beyond the right border of the image. Napoleon is similarly rendered. Drawn in profile, he stares towards the left border of the sheet. He wears a uniform, but has removed his hat so that Wellington, the barber, can wrap tufts of his hair in curling papers imprinted with French military bulletins. Napoleon is also represented with his right hand tucked into the left side of his uniform in a rhetorical pose that becomes a hallmark of portraits and caricatures alike. The general manner in which Wellington and Napoleon are rendered suggests that the engraver may have been copying their portraits from other engraved portraits. For example, their disconnected gazes, carefully delineated facial features, and contrived poses all indicate that this representation is a pastiche of sources. This sheet has been attributed to the engraver Saint-Far by Clerc and by the authors of 'Napoleon Im Spiegel der Karikatur.' Dialogue: Wellington: "L'on te disait ne coëffé cependant tu viens encore de recevoir un fameux coup de peigne?" Dialogue: Napoleon: "J'en conviens; je suis un homme rasé!!... ...mais après m'avoir fait la barbe, tout défrise que je suis, je ne veux pas ëtre passé au fer." Inscription: A Paris chez tous les Mds de Nouveautés. Inscription: Déposé au Bureau des Estampes.