Eugénie La Grue (Pose-Bêtise)
Print
1870-1871 (printed)
1870-1871 (printed)
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Satirical print showing the Empress Eugénie, Countess of Montijo, depicted as a crane, with the Pyramids in the background. Print from a set of caricatures, broadsheets and illustrations in ten volumes. Each volume is half-bound in red leather, gold tooled and stamped with imperial emblems, title etc.
Object details
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Materials and techniques | Hand-coloured lithograph on paper |
Brief description | 'Eugénie La Grue (Pose-Bêtise)'. Satirical illustration by Paul Hadol showing the Empress Eugénie as a crane. Hand-coloured lithograph, France, 1870-1871. |
Physical description | Satirical print showing the Empress Eugénie, Countess of Montijo, depicted as a crane, with the Pyramids in the background. Print from a set of caricatures, broadsheets and illustrations in ten volumes. Each volume is half-bound in red leather, gold tooled and stamped with imperial emblems, title etc. |
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Gallery label | Paul Hadol (1835-75)
The figure of the Republic draws back the curtain to reveal the personalities who have controlled France for the past 20 years, stating her opinion of them. To the right of the gap in the curtain hovers their leader, Napoleon III.
The Empress Eugénie, Countess of Montijo, married Napoleon III in 1853. This caricature plays on the double meaning of 'La Grue', either a crane or a woman of loose morals. In 1869 the Empress visited Suez for the opening of the canal. Princess Mathilde said that the journey was purely an 'opportunity to make eyes at some Eastern prince from her steamboat'.
Napoleon III characterised as cowardly and ferocious.
The Prince Imperial was the only child of the Emperor and Empress. The artist draws him as a 'serin' [canary] a word which has a secondary sense of 'ignoramus'.
Lithographs, coloured by hand. From a series of 32. E.281-284-1962(27/05/1971-10/10/1971) |
Historical context | The Empress Eugénie, Countess of Montijo (1826-1920), married Napoleon III in 1853. This caricature plays on the double meaning of La Grue, either a crane or a woman of loose morals. In 1869 the Empress visited Suez for the opening of the canal. According to Goncourt, Princess Mathilde (pl. 9) said that the journey was purely an ‘opportunity to make eyes at some Eastern prince from her steamboat. Because she always needs men around her to pay court to her and talk smut to her without rumpling her dress . . . Why, the other day she actually said to me that a woman can yield everything, except the main thing!’' |
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Accession number | E.283-1962 |
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Record created | January 27, 2009 |
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