La Comédie Politique

Physical description

Satirical print showing Jules Favre and Adolphe Thiers standing in front of a curtain openly weeping. Behind the curtain they both stand looking pleased. Thier's shadow resembles the shape of a pear. 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.
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

France (printed)

Date

1870-1871 (printed)

Artist/maker

ED (caricaturist)
Lemaine & Fils (lithographer)

Materials and Techniques

Hand-coloured lithograph on paper

Marks and inscriptions

'La Comédie Politique. Lith. Lemaine et Fils En Vente eh. Duclaux, 21, pl. du Ch-d' Eau Dépôt ch. Madre, 20, r. du Croissant En Scêne. Derrière le Rideau.'
'ED'

Dimensions

Height: 22.9 cm, Width: 19.4 cm

Descriptive line

'La Comédie Politique'. Satirical illustration by 'ED' showing Jules Favre and Adolphe Thiers standing in front of a curtain openly weeping. 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:

'103
LA COMÉDlE POLITIQUE
En Scêne. Derrière le Rideau

E.D.
Signed with monogram ED. Lettered En Vente eh. Duclaux, 21, pl. du Ch-d' Eau Lith. Lemaine et Fils Dépôt ch. Madre, 20, r. du Croissant. Lithograph, coloured by hand. 9 x 7 5/8 in. (22.9 x 19.4cm.). E.1112-1962

Favre was notorious for the freedom with which he showed his emotions and Thiers is said to have wept as he returned from Versailles after drawing up the terms of the peace treaty. The caricaturist expresses his opinion of the authenticity of these public displays of woe. Thiers' relationship with Louis-Philippe is recalled by his pear-like shadow, the fruit by which this former king of France was often represented.'
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

E D

Favre was notorious for the freedom with which he showed his emotions and Thiers is said to have wept as he returned from Versailles after drawing up the terms of the peace treaty. The caricaturist expresses his opinion of the authenticity of these public displays of woe. Thiers' relationship with Louis-Philippe is recalled by his pear-like shadow, the fruit by which this former king of France was often represented.

Lithograph, coloured by hand. E.1112-1962 [27/05/1971-10/10/1971]

Materials

Paper

Techniques

Lithography; Hand-colouring

Subjects depicted

Politician; Thiers, Adolphe; Favre, Jules

Categories

Prints; Caricatures & Cartoons

Collection code

PDP