File:Preparing for War (NAPOLEON 165).jpeg

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George Cruikshank: English: Preparing for War   (Wikidata search (Cirrus search) Wikidata query (SPARQL)  Create new Wikidata item based on this file)
Artist
George Cruikshank  (1792–1878)  wikidata:Q360466 s:en:Author:George Cruikshank
 
George Cruikshank
Alternative names
George Cruickshank; George, I Cruikshank; George, I Cruickshank; Cruickshank; george cruikshank; cruikshank
Description British caricaturist, artist, illustrator and photographer
Date of birth/death 27 September 1792 Edit this at Wikidata 1 February 1878 Edit this at Wikidata
Location of birth/death London London
Work location
Authority file
artist QS:P170,Q360466
Title
English: Preparing for War
Description
English: Published a fortnight before the Battle of Waterloo, the drawing presents three themes: that England (John Bull) can't survive the taxes necessary to go to war again, that the Regent (Prince of Wales, later George IV) is more worried about his appearance and social life than about war, and that Louis XVIII (old, dissolute) is no asset to the cause.

In the foreground, we see preparations for the funeral pyre of John Bull, who stands by in chains. The cloth over his back refers to the crushing burden of taxes levied to fight the Napoleonic Wars. The Chancellor of the Exchequer for the Tory party, Vansittart, stands on a large tub ready to attack the bull with "New War Taxes." Facing the pyre is the prime minister, the Earl of Liverpool, dressed as a butcher and in the midst of sharpening a big knife.

George IV, regent for his mad father, appears in the lefthand corner, being measured by his tailor and attended by his barber and valet. He sees the impending war as an excuse for a party, and asks for cooks and servents and lascivious mistresses.

Napoleon is shown across the English Channel standing on a cliff, about to "Let loose the Dogs of war!"

Louis XVIII rides up on a decrepit looking horse, followed by two aging soldiers carrying his medicine bottles. His comments make it clear he will sit out the fight.


Published June 1st, 1815 in Scourge magazine (Monthly expositor of imposture and folly).

  • Subjects (LCSH): Political cartoons; History--Caricatures & cartoons; Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821; Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815; Louis XVIII, King of France, 1755-1824
Date 1815
date QS:P571,+1815-00-00T00:00:00Z/9
Medium
English: Etching, hand colored ; on sheet 21 x 50 cm.
institution QS:P195,Q219563
Current location
Accession number
Place of creation
English: England -- London -- Newgate Street
Inscriptions
Caption on Image :
Preparing for War
Pub’d by M. Jones No 5 Newgate Street
June 1st 1815
G. Cruickshank fec’t

Dialogue and Signage :
[Sacred bull] Alass de must I come to this:--have I bled for so many years in your service & will you now take my life ?
[man standing over bull] Better to die Johnny then live & see thrive the thing we hate—let us arm—war, --war, interminable war I say, down with the regicide no quarter to the Usurper—so I said at Congress so I now repeat & if it is your fate to expire at the alter, Johnny, all I ask is that I may live to preach your financial sermon
[Executioner] No grumbling, Johnny, you are a noble sacrifice & worthy of the cause
[Bull’s blanket] Land tax Ditto Personal Tax on Windows, Dogs, Houses, Servants, Clerks, Shopmen, Carts, Hay, Powder, Horses, Waiters, Travelers, [unreadable]
[Sign on bull’s funeral pyre] SACRED to the BOURBON cause and dedicated to the Downfall of illegitimate TYRANNY
[Man at left] Why this looks like War! Order me a brilliant Fete, send me a myriad of Cooks & Scullions, say to me no more of civil lists & deserted wives but of lascivious mistresses de Bachanalian orgies <<can’t read>> Pell Mell—my soul is eager for the fierce encounter—what—are my Whiskers easier than they were ?
[Hairdresser of that man] Your Highness shall in all things be obey’d
[Tailor of that man] I think these will be the best stays your Highness has had yet
[Small men in field] Well—we’ve Tally for the Field tomorrow! But don’t forget the Eau Medicinal & the Fleecy hosiery alas these gouty limbs are but ill adapted to jack boots & spurs, I think I had better fight my battles over a cool bottle with my Friend George
[Napoleon] Let loose the Dogs of War
[N’s soldier] Here is a glorious pack already sniffing human blood & fresh for slaughter—on comrades on! The word is Buonaparte Belzebub & blood
[Labels on headless creatures beside executioner] for Subsidys, for the Army, for Navy,
Source/Photographer
Permission
(Reusing this file)
Public domain

The author died in 1878, so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer.


This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1929.

Publisher
InfoField
Jones, M.
Digital ID Number
InfoField
NAP034
UW Reference Number
InfoField
E28

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