English Caricaturists and Graphic Humourists of the Nineteenth Century.: How they Illustrated and Interpreted their Times.Everitt, Graham
History
English Caricaturists and Graphic Humourists of the Nineteenth Century.: How they Illustrated and Interpreted their Times.
Everitt, Graham
Caricature -- Great Britain; Illustration of books -- Great Britain -- 19th century
On the 8th of June, 1814, the Emperor of Russia, with his sister the
Duchess Oldenburg, the King of Prussia, and his two sons, with Prince
Metternich, Marshal Blucher, General Barclay de Tolly, the Hetman
Platoff, and other persons of distinction, arrived in London. The
strangers were splendidly entertained by the merchants and bankers of
London at Merchant Taylors' Hall, and by the Corporation of London at
Guildhall. On the 20th there was a grand review of regulars and
metropolitan volunteers in Hyde Park; the ceremony of announcing to the
inhabitants of the metropolis the conclusion of the definitive treaty of
peace with France took place with all its ancient and accustomed
solemnities. On the 25th of July a grand naval review was held at
Portsmouth, and on the 27th the illustrious visitors embarked at Dover
for the Continent. The handsome Russian emperor and his handsome sister
acquired great popularity by the condescension and affability they
displayed during their short visit. This is commemorated by George
Cruikshank in a satire published by Fores on the 11th of July, entitled,
_Russian Condescension, or the Blessings of Peace_, in which a coarse
woman is represented as kissing the emperor, who is habited in English
military uniform. "There, Sal," says she to her companion, "I can boast
of what none of the ----s at Billingsgate can, having kissed the king's
emperor of all the Russian bears, and he is the sweetest, modestest,
mildest gentleman I ever kissed in all my life." On the other side a
huge country gawky shakes hands with the duchess, whose vast bonnet is a
study. "Dang it," he says, "when I goes back and tells the folks in our
village of this, law! how they will envy I!" In the distance we see
another female in pursuit of the frightened Hetman Platoff.
The reader will remember, that from the state ceremonies and festivities
which took place on this memorable occasion the miserable Caroline had
been excluded, nor did she of course receive recognition or visits from
any of her husband's illustrious visitors. The state of social isolation
to which she was thus consigned is referred to by George Cruikshank in a
very roughly executed caricature entitled, _The British Spread Eagle_,
"Presented to the northern monarchs as a model for their national banner
in consequence of the general peace." The Regent, holding in his hand a
bottle of port wine, turns away from his neglected wife: "I'll go," he
says, "to my bottle, my marchioness [of Conyngham], my countess" [of
Jersey], who may be seen close at hand in an adjoining thicket; "and I,"
answers Caroline, "to my child, my only comfort." The "only comfort" is
seen coming to her mother's assistance in the distance, uttering the
trite quotation, "The child that feels not for a mother's woes, can
ne'er be called a Briton."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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