In this well executed satire, two Frenchmen, who have been attempting to tame crocodiles, are ruthlessly attacked by the reptiles. Here, Gillray satirizes Napoleon's Institute d'Égypte, a group of engineers who were sent to Egypt to record and document their findings using "scientific" methods that were both archeological and quasi-sociological. The crocodiles are shown emerging from the reeds and rushes that line the banks of the River Nile. Their sinuous tails and large jaws are delineated with remarkable accuracy. In the center foreground of the image, a large crocodile chomps onto the Frenchman's leg. In response, the "tamer" yells in pain and drops his whip and the bridle he holds--a specially designed saddle for the animal also lies on the ground. His fellow researcher can be seen on the right edge of the sheet running from a crocodile who has clamped onto his jacket. Raising his hands, he drops a manual titled "Les Droits du Crocodile," or the "Rights of the Crocodile." Sheaves of paper and an educational tract litter the foreground of the image. Among the possible uses for the crocodile the images depict crocodiles pulling carriages on land, pulling a boat through rivers, and saddling the crocodile to ride as a horse. This sheet is generally in good condition. It shows signs of having been folded at the edges. It has also darkened with age and has some small tears at the edges.
Notes:
From: Egyptian Sketches
Published by H. Humphrey, St James's Street, March 12, 1799. This satire belongs to a larger group by Gillray that purport to be etchings based on 'Original Intercepted Drawing[s].' The intercepted correspondence Gillray refers to was largely engineering information.
Caption: Pubd March 12th 1799 by H. Humphrey St Jamess Street
Printed Signature: Etched by Js. Gillray, from the Original Intercepted Drawing
"'L' Insurrection de l'Institute amphibie.' - The pursuit of knowledge"
(1799).
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:232452/
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