Iconic satirical map of Europe by Paul Hadol published in Paris at Vallee, 1870. The map shows the disposition of power in Europe: each country is represented by human and animal form of a cartoon character that reflects the personality of each country at the onset of the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. Omnipotent Russia, embracing all the German states, expands in every direction with one hand placed firmly on Holland and Belgium. With one knee she crushes Austria. With the other she pushes menacingly against the French frontier, France desperately repulses her. A rifle with a bayonet near the bottom edge is sardonically labelled “Degrees of Longitude.”
Inscription:
L’Angleterre, isolée, peste de rage et un oublie Presque L’Irlande qu’elle tient en laisee. L’Espagne fume, appuyée sur le Portugal. La France repousse les envahissements de la Prusse, qui avance / une main sur la Hollande l’autre sur L’Autriche. L’Italie, aussi, dit à Bismarck: Ote donc tes pieds de là. La Corse et la Sardaigne. . . un vrai Gavroche qui rit de tout. Le Danemarck, qui a perdu ses / jambs dans le Holstein, espère les reprendre. La Turquie d’Europe baille et s’éveille. La Turquie d’Asie aspire le fume de son narguilhé. La Suède fait des bonds de panthère. Et la Russie ressemble à un / croquemitaine qui voudrait remplir sa hotte.
Bibliography:
Lambert, Susan, The Franco-Prussian War and The Commune in Caricature 1870-71: catalogue of a collection of prints in the possession of the Department of Prints and Drawings of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, V&A, 1971
Victoria & Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1962. London: HMSO, 1964.
Rumsey #6815. OCLC 829504729, 54639331, and 816004910. Lambert, S., The Franco-Prussian War and The Commune in Caricature ,1870-71. Baridon, L., Un atlas imaginaire, 113. Hill, Cartographical Curiosities p. 46. Tooley, Geographical Oddities, MCC1, #75-79.
