The Apology. Meditation. Satisfaction
date: label: Date made
content: 1836
name: label: depicted
content: Van Buren, Martin
label: depicted
content: Jackson, Andrew
label: depicted
content: Louis Philippe King of France
label: depicted
content: William IV King of Great Britain and Ireland
label: maker
content: Clay, Edward Williams
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This 1836 print is in response to President Andrew Jackson’s ongoing negotiations with France to claim monetary compensation for French spoliations dating to the Napoleonic Wars. During the Napoleonic Wars (1803 to 1815), France, ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, and their allies, engaged in a series of major conflicts as an extension of the French Revolution. The main target of these conflicts was Great Britain and their allies, but American merchant ships were often damaged by the French Navy. Negotiations to ratify these marine losses began during the war, but rather than helping, they are partially to blame for starting the War of 1812. Dealings with France regarding this issue were at a stalemate, but early in his first term Jackson proposed the Franco-American Treaty of 1831, calling for France to pay twenty five million francs to the United States to cover the spoliation claims from American merchants. Following this, France led by King Louis Phillippe paid European claims, but ignored the United States’. This angered Jackson, and he threatened military intervention if France did not pay. The threats frustrated France, but they agreed to pay only if Jackson apologized. When he refused, payment was again taken off the table. In 1836 Jackson finally conceded, and with the help of Great Britain, negotiated to receive the payments. In this print, King Louis Phillippe of France stands to the right of King William IV of Great Britain, clutching a sack labeled “5,000,000” (the amount owed in spoliations), while Jackson stands to left accompanied by Martin Van Buren. The title of this print works to divide the image into three parts, starting with Jackson’s apology on the left, moving to the mediation helmed by King William, and finally to King Louis Phillippe accepting the apology.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The lithographer of this print is Edward Williams Clay (1799-1857). Clay was a caricaturist, engraver, lithographer, and etcher, as well as a portrait painter. Before his career as an artist, Clay was admitted to the Philadelphia Bar, but quickly left to pursue art in New York City. After losing his eyesight he retired from art and held minor office in Delaware before his death in December of 1857.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Economy
label: Subject
content: Chronology: 1830-1839
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
label: Subject
content: Diplomacy
label: Subject
content: Adornment
label: Subject
content: Glasses
label: Subject
content: Uniforms, Military
label: Subject
content: Walking
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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content: Clothing & Accessories
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content: Peters Political Prints
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content: Art
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content: Domestic Furnishings
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Harry T. Peters "America on Stone" Lithography Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.60.3389
label: catalog number
content: 60.3389
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: image: 10 1/2 in x 14 1/8 in; 26.67 cm x 35.8775 cm