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Nos Grrrands Généraux

Print
1870-71 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Lemaine & Fils (printer)
Betbeder, Faustin (caricaturist)
Place of origin
Paris (printed)

Satirical print showing General Chanzy, wearing red trousers and a blue military jacket, riding a wooden rocking horse, his hat falling off. In the background are defence works. 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
Titles
  • Nos Grrrands Généraux (series title)
  • Le Géneral Chanzy (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Hand-coloured lithograph on paper
Paper
Lithography
Hand-Colouring
Brief description
'Le Géneral Chanzy...' Satirical illustration by Faustin Betbeder showing General Chanzy riding a wooden rocking horse, his hat falling off. Hand-coloured lithograph, France, 1870-1871.
Physical description
Satirical print showing General Chanzy, wearing red trousers and a blue military jacket, riding a wooden rocking horse, his hat falling off. In the background are defence works. 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: 30.7cm
  • Width: 22.5cm
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
  • 'Nos Grrrands Généraux No.3. Lith. Lemaine, 61, r. de Cléry En Vente ch. Duclaux, 21, pl. du Ch d'Eau Dépôt ch. Madre, 20, r. de Croist. Le Géneral Chanzy. Allons bon o'la encore Cocotte qui se cabre et Paris qui m'attend!...' (Lettered)
  • 'Faustin' (Signed)
Gallery label
(27/05/1971-10/10/1971)
"Faustin" (pseudonym of Faustin Betbeder) (born 1847)

The second Army of the Loire, under General Chanzy's leadership, was severely beaten when it was marching to the rescue of Paris at the beginning of December.

Lithograph, coloured by hand. E.992-1962
Object history
Plate 4 in a series entitled Nos Grrrands Généraux.
Historical context
During the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71), General Chanzy led the second Army of the Loire. As a result of a confusing message dispatched by Favre on the afternoon of 30 November, Gambetta thought that Ducrot had not only crossed the Marne, but that he was well past the Prussian lines on his way to Fontainebleau. Gambetta immediately ordered his Generals, Chanzy and D' Aurelle to march to meet him without pausing to concentrate. With their forces divided, they were intercepted en route and severely beaten by the Prussian army released from the siege at Metz.
Subjects depicted
Man
Rocking Horse
Hat
Epaulettes
General
Cannons
Chanzy, Antoine Eugène Alfred (General)
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.992-1962

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Record createdFebruary 4, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O186356/nos-grrrands-généraux-print-betbeder-faustin/
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