The sheet is taken up by a pair of large scales suspended from a balance beam. Pitt and Addington stand on the left scale, which hangs in the air. Napoleon confidently poses on the right scale, which is firmly planted on the ground. The caricature of Pitt has his hallmark snub-nose and angular limbs. Addington, who crouches next to Pitt and grasps his shoulder in order to concentrate his weight, wears his Speaker's robes and a long white wig. The black robes are embroidered with gold thread and hang over the scale platform, lending Addington the appearance of being a huge black beetle. From his vantage point on the ground, Napoleon gazes up at the British politicians. He is dressed in a blue uniform and wears a hat ornamented with fat plumes. In his right hand he holds a sword, pointed downward from his hip; his left hand is curled on his waist. As indicated by Pitt's speech, the sword Napoleon carries and employs has tipped the balance of power. This sheet has been closely trimmed and mounted onto a piece of stiff paper. The dimensions indicated reflect the size of the mount followed by the actual size of the sheet. Small triangle in graphite in lower left corner of sheet.
Notes:
Published by Samuel W. Fores. Mary George notes that this simple image was made to satirize the peace preliminaries. 1801-12-01
Caption: Pubd Decr 1, 1801 by S W Fores 50 Piccadilly
Dialogue: Pitt: "So this is the Balance of Power--We have been makeing such a fuss about--a pretty piece of business we have made of it, Curse that Sword of his, t'is that has made us kick the Beam!"
Inscription: Folios of Caricatures lent out for the Evening.
"The balance of power"
(1801).
Napoleonic Satires from the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection, Prints, Drawings and Watercolors from the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:232349/
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