Grandeur et servitude militaire

Physical description

Satirical print in which General Trochu licks the foot of Wilhelm I, Emperor of Germany, as a waspish creature excretes the word 'Plan' into his cracking head. 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.

Place of Origin

Paris, France (printed)

Date

1870-1871 (printed)

Artist/maker

Faustin Betbeder, born 1847 - died 1918 (caricaturist)
Lemaine & Fils (printer)

Materials and Techniques

Hand-coloured lithograph on paper

Marks and inscriptions

'Grandeur et servitude militaire Lith. Lemaine & Fils, 61, rue de Cléry, Paris / chez Duclaux 21. Place du Château-d'eau'
'F'
' . . . . ah! Monsieur Guillaume Empere / urquell honneur! Quell honneur! / Je suis votre humble serviteur . . . . . / (Sur I'air du Senateur)'
'Plan'

Dimensions

Height: 29 cm, Width: 21.6 cm

Object history note

Provenance unknown.

Historical context note

Although Trochu was a favourite with the fickle mob when he came to power, within weeks he too was the butt of the caricaturists. 'Mon plan' was a phrase of which the verbose General was particularly fond. After the war he admitted that he had never had a plan. His lack of action led to rumours that he was negotiating with the Germans.

Descriptive line

'Grandeur et servitude militaire'. Satirical illustration by Faustin Betbeder in which General Trochu licks the foot of the German emperor Wilhelm I. Hand-coloured lithograph, France, 1870-1871.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

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: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1971.
The full text of the entry is as follows:

'54
GRANDEUR ET SERVITUDE MILITAIRE
. . . . . ah! Monsieur Guillaume Empereur
quell honneur! Quell honneur!
Je suis votre humble serviteur . . . . .
(Sur I'air du Senateur)

'Faustin' (pseudonym of Faustin Betbeder) (1847- ?)
Signed F. Lettered chez Duclaux 21. Place du Château-d'eau Lith. Lemaine & Fils, 61, rue de Cléry, Paris. Lithograph, coloured by hand. 11½ x 8½ in. (29 x 21.6cm.). E.1012-1962

General Trochu (1815-96), the President of the Council and the Military Governor of Paris, licks the feet of William, Emperor of Germany, as a waspish creature excretes the word Plan into his cracking head. Although Trochu was a favourite with the fickle mob when he came to power, within weeks he too was the butt of the caricaturists. 'Mon plan' was a phrase of which the verbose General was particularly fond. After the war he admitted that he had never had a plan. His lack of action led to rumours that he was negotiating with the Germans.'
Victoria & Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1962. London: HMSO, 1964.
The full text of the entry is as follows:
"'FAUSTIN' (pseudonym of Faustin BETBEDER) (born 1847), and other Artists
Caricatures, broadsheets and illustrations (2235) relating to Napoleon III, the Imperial Family, the fall of the Second Empire, the Siege of Paris and the Commune, by 'Faustin' and other artists, 1870-1. In 10 volumes, each half-bound in red leather, gold tooled and stamped with imperial emblems, title etc.
Many lettered with names of artists and printers and with captions.
Lithographs, etchings, mostly coloured by hand. Various sizes
E.43-2277-1962
Among the artists represented in this collection are:
ANDRIEUX, Clément Augustue (1829-1880)
BALLIN, Auguste (born 1842)
BAR, G. (1807-post 1870)
BEAUVERIE, Charles Joseph (1839-1924)
'BERTALL' (pseudonym of Albert d'ARNOUX) (1820-1882)
BOUTET, Henri (1851-c.1920)
'CHAM' (pseudonym of Amédée Charles Henri, Comte de NOÉ) (1819-1879)
CHOUBRAC, Alfred (1853-1902)
COINDRE, Victor (born 1816)
DAUMIER, Honoré (1808-1879)
DAUMONT, Émile Florentin (1834-c.1904)
DEMARE, Henri (1846-1888)
'DRANER' (pseudonym of Jules RENARD) (1833-1898)
FRONDAT, Napoléon Charles Louis de (born 1846)
'GÉDÉON' (pseudonym of Gédéon BARIL) (born 1832) '
'GILL', André (pseudonym of Louis Alexandre GOSSET) (1840-1885)
HADOL, Paul (1835-1875)
HUMBERT, Albert (1835-1886)
'JOB' (pseudonym of Jacques Marie ONFRAY de Bréville) (1858-1931)
KLENK, Paul (born 1844)
LADREYT, Eugène (born 1832)
LALANNE, Maxime (1827-1886)
LE PETIT, Alfred (1841-1909)
LEVY, Alphonse Jacques (1843-1918)
MAILLY, Hippolyte (born 1829)
'MARTIAL' (pseudonym of Adolphe Martial POTÉMONT) (1828-1883)
'MOLOCH' (pseudonym of B. COLOMB) (1849-1909)
'MONTBARD' (pseudonym Charles Auguste LOYE) (1842-1905)
MORLAND, Valère Alphonse (born 1846)
MOYSE, Édouard (born 1827)
'PÉPIN' (pseudonym of Georges LABADIE) (1844-1918)
PIERDON, Francois (1821-1904)
'PILOTELL' (pseudonym of Georges LABADIE) (1844-1918)
REGAMEY, Félix Élie (1844-1907)
ROCHEBRUNE, Octave Guillaume de (1824-1900)
SCHÉRER, Léonce (1827-1876)
SCHOMMER, François (1850-1935)
'TELLIAP' (pseudonym of (?) Fernand PAILLET) (1850-1918)
VERNIER, Charles (1831-1887)
VEYRASSAT, Jules Jacques (1828-1893)
YON, Edmond Charles Joseph (1836-1897)"

Exhibition History

The Franco-Prussian War and The Commune in Caricature 1870-71 (Victoria and Albert Museum 27/05/1971-10/10/1971)

Labels and date

"Faustin" (pseudonym of Faustin Betbeder) (born 1847)

General Trochu, the President of the Council and the Military Governor of Paris, licks the feet of William, Emperor of Germany. His lack of action led to rumours that he was negotiating with the Germans.

Lithograph, coloured by hand. E.1012-1962 [27/05/1971-10/10/1971]

Materials

Paper

Techniques

Lithography; Hand-colouring

Subjects depicted

Sword; Uniform; Emperor; Insect; General; Wilhelm I (Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia); Epaulettes; Trochu (General)

Categories

Prints; Caricatures & Cartoons

Collection code

PDP