James Gillray
Collections record: P.643-1948
1757-1815 Etching with hand colouring, 1806
With the arrival of Napoleon the English satirists had the opportunity to ridicule a man instead of a generalised stereotype. In this caricature Napoleon and Talleyrand bake ginger-bread kings for the emperor’s imperialistic grand plan. Gillray defends the English audience against the threat of Napoleon by making him look decidedly unthreatening. Standing in an apron and dwarfed by his enormous hat, Napoleon is made into a laughable figure.
Given by Lady Violet Beaumont, 1948 (P.643-1948)
