Le Pif Impérial

Physical description

Satirical print depicting a boy, symbolizing the French Republic, cocking a snook at Napoleon III. Fungi, in the form of Louis Veuillot and Eugène Schneider, sprout from Napoleon's enormous nose, on which are scribbled caricatures of the Imperial family. 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

Le Petit, Alfred, born 1841 - died 1909 (caricaturist)

Materials and Techniques

Hand-coloured process engraving on paper

Marks and inscriptions

'Le Pif Impérial, Par Alfred Le Petit Supplément De La Charge No. 6. T'a encore l'temps d'faire ton nez, mon bonhomme, si tu crois r'venir à Paris, tu peux t'fouiller. Se vend chez Duclaux, 21, place du Château-d' Eau. -Dépôt chez Madre, 20, rue du Croissant. Paris. -Typ. Rouge frères et Comp.'
'A. L. P.'
'Veuillot Schneider' and 'République'

Dimensions

Height: 29.8 cm, Width: 23.5 cm

Object history note

This engraving was the 6th Supplement to the newspaper La Charge.

Descriptive line

'Le Pif Impérial'. Satirical illustration by Alfred le Petit showing a young boy cocking a snook at Napoleon III and his exaggerated nose. Hand-coloured process engraving, 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:

'87
LE PIF IMPÉRIAL, PAR ALFRED LE PETIT
T'a encore l'temps d'faire ton nez, mon bonhomme, si tu crois r'venir à Paris, tu peux t'fouiller

Le Petit, Alfred (1841-1909) ('Zut')
6th Supplement to the newspaper La Charge. Signed A.L.P. Lettered Se vend chez Duclaux, 21, place du Château-d' Eau. -Dépôt chez Madre, 20, rue du Croissant. Paris. -Typ. Rouge frères et Comp. Within the design Veuillot Schneider and République. Process engraving, coloured by hand.
11¾ x 9¼ in. (29.8 x 23.5 cm.). E.461-1962

The Republic cocks a snook at Napoleon III, who is standing in chains. Fungi in the form of Veuillot (see pl. 27) and Eugène Schneider sprout from Napoleon's enormous nose, on which are scribbled caricatures of the Imperial family. On polling day a proclamation arrived from the former Emperor. He declared that he had been 'betrayed by fortune' and claimed to be the only legitimate representative of France. His pathetic attempt to regain power had no more success than this caricature forecast; only a handful of his supporters were returned and most of these by faithful Corsicans.'
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

Alfred Le Petit "Zut" (1841-1909)

The Republic cocks a snook at Napoleon Ill, who is standing in chains. Fungi in the form of Veuillot and Eugène Schneider sprout from Napoleon's enormous nose, on which are scribbled caricatures of the Imperial family. On polling day a proclamation arrived from the former Emperor. He declared that he had been 'betrayed by fortune' and claimed to be the only legitimate representative of France. His pathetic attempt to regain power had no more success than this caricature forecast; only a handful of his supporters were returned and these only by faithful Corsicans.

Process engraving, coloured by hand. E.461-1962 [27/05/1971-10/10/1971]

Materials

Paper

Techniques

Hand-colouring; Process engraving

Subjects depicted

Men; Flag; Bonaparte, Napoleon III; Sash; The Empress Eugenie; Epaulettes; Napoleon, Eugene Louis Jean Joseph; Fungi; Veuillot, Louis; Bonaparte, Pierre; Schneider, Eugène

Categories

Prints; Caricatures & Cartoons

Collection code

PDP