Description
- Abstract:
- In this graphically scatological satire, Napoleon defiles the French throne, marked "L R," by defecating on the cushions. Leaving no detail out, the satirist depicts Napoleon perched on the arms of the throne with his bottom bared. This "egg" he lays causes a Frenchman, possibly a Bourbon, to retreat while pinching his nose closed. In naming Napoleon a cuckoo, Cruikshank makes explicit reference to a bird that invades another's nest and lays eggs that upon hatching will devour the other eggs in that nest. Like the bird, the filth Napoleon spreads on the French throne contaminates the monarchy as an institution in France.
- Notes:
- Published by Williamson, 1804-07-26. British Museum, BM 10261.
- Caption: Pubd. ty T. Williamson 20, Strand London July 26 1804
- Dialogue: Monsieur: "Curse him what a stink he has made, he has foul'd my nest so that I must run away."
- Dialogue: Napoleon: "I think that by laying an Egg, I shall get full possession of this Royal Nest."
Access Conditions
- Rights
- No Copyright - United States
- Restrictions on Use
- Collection is open for research.
Citation
"The Corsican Cuckoo:
A bird of passage recently discovered in France and supposed to be the most crafty of his species
"
(1804).
Prints, Drawings and Watercolors from the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection, Napoleonic Satires from the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:232131/
Relations
Collections:
-
Prints, Drawings and Watercolors from the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection
This vast digital collection of military artwork from the 16th through 20th centuries, vividly documents all aspects of military and naval history, with emphasis on the history and illustration of world military and naval uniforms from the 17th century to …... -
Napoleonic Satires from the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection
...The Napoleonic satires housed in the Anne S. K. Brown Military collection of the John Hay Library represent several important gifts made to the library in the 20th century. In addition to the Napoleonic satires located in the military collection …