Universal murderer of domestic happiness or the fraternal tyrant

Represented with all the comedic awkwardness of a character in the Comedia Dell'Arte, a French messenger presents Lucien Bonaparte, the Prince of Canino, with an ultimatum from his brother, Napoleon. The messenger grins as he sweeps his cap off of his grotesque head and extends the scroll with his clawed left hand. This fiendish deformity is amplified by his legs and feet, which are transformed from those of a human into the legs of an animal and cloven hooves. Lucien reacts to this visitor and his missive by throwing his arms wide and striding forward as if to protect his family who are gathered behind him. Lucien and his family group all wear expressions of disgust and fear and are not caricatured. His wife stands on his right and clings to Lucien's upraised right arm and is distraught at the thought of an end to their domestic tranquility. In the distance, a calm mountain landscape extends across the horizon. However, the backdrop to the family is made tense and ominous by the confused branches and foliage on the trees and by the large columns that suggest the portico of the family's estate. Represented with all the comedic awkwardness of a character in the Comedia Dell'Arte, a French messenger presents Lucien Bonaparte, the Prince of Canino, with an ultimatum from his brother, Napoleon. The messenger grins as he sweeps his cap off of his grotesque head and extends the scroll with his clawed left hand. This fiendish deformity is amplified by his legs and feet, which are transformed from those of a human into the legs of an animal and cloven hooves. Lucien reacts to this visitor and his missive by throwing his arms wide and striding forward as if to protect his family who are gathered behind him. Lucien and his family group all wear expressions of disgust and fear and are not caricatured. His wife stands on his right and clings to Lucien's upraised right arm and is distraught at the thought of an end to their domestic tranquility. In the distance, a calm mountain landscape extends across the horizon. However, the backdrop to the family is made tense and ominous by the confused branches and foliage on the trees and by the large columns that suggest the portico of the family's estate. Published by Samuel W. Fores. George writes that Napoleon's order was met by Lucien's refusal and attempted flight to America. En route, the family was captured by an English frigate and eventually brought to Plymouth, England, via Malta. According to George, the family bought a house near Worchester, and was well received by their neighbors. 1810-12-24 Caption: Pubd Dec4 24th 1810 by S W Fores 50 Piccadilly Dialogue: French messenger: "Votre Serviteur Mr. Lucien!!--your Imperial Brother is determined to make you great and happy,--these are the terms." Lucien: "He seems determined to make me a Villain! but I am determined that there shall be one honest man in the family, and will fly to that country where character is respected." Lucien's wife: "Ah my dear Lucien! here is an end to our domestic peace and happiness." Eldest daughter: "Then lets go to England Father for that is the only place where Honor and Virtue find partizans." Other daughter: "Sister is that a friend of my Uncles." Annotation: 5- [and other partially erased numbers]: 860, 10/[?] Collector's Mark: a triangle bisected by a horizontal line Collector's Mark: A Letter (Correspondence): Lucien Kick your wife and childern out of doors, I shall marry you to a Princess and make you King of Rome, comply immediately or dread the vengence of your Brother [signed] Napoleon. Plate Mark: 152