[Rarebooks] fa: NAPOLEON BONAPARTE & INVASION OF ENGLAND - 2 SATIRICAL CARICATURES - S. W. Fores: 1803

[ArCh]

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S. W. Fores (publisher:) The Centinel at his Post or Boneys peep into Walmer Castle!! London: Fores, October 22,1803. [WITH:] John Bull guarding the Toy-Shop, or Boney Crying for some more play things. London: Fores, October 29, 1803. Inscription on both: "Folios of Caracatures[sic] lent out for the Evening." Two hand-colored etchings, framed and glazed. Frame size: ca. 19 1/8 x 15 1/8 in.; image size: ca. 13 7/8 x 9 3/4 in. Light toning, a few small spots, else very good; not examined out of frames. Broadley, Napoleon in Caricature A-172, A-485; BM Satires 10113, 10118.

Two graphic satires on Napoleon Bonaparte published within a week of each other in October, 1803, at the height of the invasion scare. The Centinel at his Post. Attributed to Charles Ansell by Broadley. "[William] Pitt (l.) in volunteer uniform, bayonet in hand, looks over the fortified wall of Walmer Castle into a French gunboat immediately below; he asks: "Who goes there?" The boat, which has a sail, is in the foreground, the stern cut off by the r. margin. Napoleon seated in the bows on the single cannon, sabre in hand, looks over his right. shoulder in consternation, saying, "Ah - Begar! - dot man alive still - turn about Citoyens - for there will be no good to be done - I know his tricks of old!!" Beside him are two officers, one seated, the other trembling with bent knees. On the r. are three frightened Grenadiers, holding muskets. Behind Pitt are castle buildings, flying a large Union flag. Tiny soldiers are indicated..." (M. Dorothy George, Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum, VIII, 1947). -- John Bull guarding the Toy-Shop. Signed "J.B" at lower right. Attributed by Broadley to John Cawse, but "unlike his manner" (George). "A fat elderly volunteer stands, legs astride, outside the shop of 'Fores Carac[a]turist to [t]h[e] First Consu[l]', looking down in contempt at Napoleon (r.), who stands in profile to the left. pointing a forefinger at the shop-window, his handkerchief to his eye. The latter wears his huge bicorne and sabre; he says: "Pray Mr Bull let me have some of the Toys if tis only that little one in the corner." John answers: "I tell you - you shant touch one of them - so blubber away and be d-d". Only a part of the window of a corner-shop is visible, fronted with iron railings. The panes are filled, not with prints, but with models of London buildings: 'India House', 'St James's', 'Bank', at which Napoleon points, 'Costom House', 'The Treasury', 'Tower'. Behind Napoleon and in the middle distance are houses drawn with little regard to topography..." (George).