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Grandeur et servitude militaire

Print
1870-1871 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Lemaine & Fils (printer)
Betbeder, Faustin (caricaturist)
Place of origin
Paris (printed)

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.

Object details

Categories
Caricatures & Cartoons
Prints
Object type
Print
TitleGrandeur et servitude militaire (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Hand-coloured lithograph on paper
Paper
Lithography
Hand-Colouring
Brief description
'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.
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.
Dimensions
  • Height: 29cm
  • Width: 21.6cm
Dimensions from: 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.
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Grandeur et servitude militaire Lith. Lemaine & Fils, 61, rue de Cléry, Paris / chez Duclaux 21. Place du Château-d'eau' (Lettered)
  • 'F' (Signed)
  • ' . . . . ah! Monsieur Guillaume Empere / urquell honneur! Quell honneur! / Je suis votre humble serviteur . . . . . / (Sur I'air du Senateur)' (Lettered with caption)
  • 'Plan' (Lettered within design)
Gallery label
(27/05/1971-10/10/1971)
"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
Object history
Provenance unknown.
Historical context
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.
Subjects depicted
Insect
Epaulettes
Sword
Uniform
General
Emperor
Trochu (General)
Wilhelm I (Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia)
Bibliographic references
  • 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.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.1012-1962

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Record createdFebruary 4, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O186207/grandeur-et-servitude-militaire-print-betbeder-faustin/
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