The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-16

Copyright, 1895, by S. S. Mcclure, Linz
ited.)
Paris, May 90 1S95.-From the alb
dication to the return from Elba, and
from Waterloo to 1880, anti-NapoIeonic
caricature in France was so coarse
ard so destitute Of all art that it IS
really not worth noticing. During
these two periods the Bourbon govern
ment openly favored this production Of
anonymous c|aricatures, Wiley colored
and with grossly insulting CONNER
taries, by the appearance of which,
they hoped. the Napoleon legend would
be effectually stifed.
In a short time repulsive pictures Of
Napoleon were everywhere cOnspicu-
Gus, a hideOus nightmare, in the print
sellers windows. Farewell to the
B~onaparte at the bridge OF Arcolai No
more Of the first consul crossing the
Alps. No longer Napoleon appears in
majesty beneath the arches of Notre
Dame, or in the cathHTal at Milan, his
brows encircled by the imperial dia-
dem or the iron crown of the Lom-
bardsi
To the famous engravings signed by
the names of eros, David, Isabey, Ger
ard and Appiani, TO the popular pic
lures with d~ithyrambic legends, have
succeeded innumerable caricatures,
nearly all anonymous, of astonishing
ccarseness Z absolutely devoid Of
art.
4 TACT worthy Of mention is that in
France no artist of talent consented to
degrade his brush in this base cam
paign Of insults against the thunder
blasted Titan.
It was necessary that all possible
~,noDc chnr1Td ha 1rEa1 70 iuEnirp in tho
people a horror ever of the name Of
Bonaparte. The task was certainly a
difficult one, the people being always
ready, with the instructive generosity
OF their heart. to pardon h offences
of those who have accomplished really
great things, and to forget very quick
~ sufferings by the excess of glory.
1t is III England we must seek for
really good ~caricatures of Napoleon.
There art was combined with satire,
and certain ~caricatures by Gillray and
R~owlandson might occupy a place of
honor in the finest collections of en-
cravings.
GiiIray's Celebrated C~aricatures.
Among the numerous caricaturists
who attacked Napoleon, Gillray is by
far the most celebrated. His influence
on satiric painters of his time was
considerable: not only in England, but
also in France, Germany, Italy, and
especially in Russia. he a innumera-
bic imitators.
J. GiiIray is par excellence the carl
caturist of Napoleon. and he incar-
rates in hls work all the hatred of
England against the emperor. More
over, the Satire vocation was never
more imperiouS tina in the case of this
artist. He seems to have been born in
the world for the purpose of ridiculing
from his attacks, and George III was
among the first to experience the
stings of his poisoned darts. Numer-
Gus are the caricatures in which he
~ridicules with merciless humor the &C.
centricities and avarice of his sove-
reign
British spleen was delighted with
shose biting criticisms. but at last the
court became d~ispleased and a minis
ter was commanded to buy the terri
BILE pencil of Gillray, who, drunkard
and gambler, len himself with a good
grace to h bargain.
One Al the articles in the convention
probably required him to turn the ar
rows Of his satire against the "Corsi-
can ogre" 1.-THE Corsican plague;" for
from the day the imbecilities of George
III ceased to serve as a butt for his
raillery, Napoleon became his daily
target. And it must be admitted that
his inexhaustible fancy did not suffer
from the change Of direction.
eThe Feast of B-eIshazzar."
From the coup d'etat Of Brumaire
until 1915, the year of his death, he
held on to his victim. 1t was the un-
chasing attack Of the hornet on the
lion. The list Of pictures Illustrating
that Homeric fight is a long one.
Among the most celebrated may be
mentioned: Napoleon Putting an
Erd to h French Revolution" 1.-THE
Interview Between Britannia and the
bench Citizen" anG "The Feast of
E~elshazzar." in which Bonaparte, Jo-
%ephine, and the courtiers are feasting
( en- the riches OF England.