The Dutch celebrate Napoleon’s departure
Charles Williams, published January 1st 1814
This cartoon is strangely prophetic because at the time it was published Napoleon was still Emperor of the French and the flight to Elba had not happened but when I delved further I understood and so will you!
How easy it is to make a mistake!
I chose this engraving as an example of European nations celebrating when Napoleon was no longer in charge after the battle of Waterloo.
But that must be wrong! I realised that this was published in London on January 1st 1814 when Napoleon was still the undisputed Emperor of France. How could the artist foresee the future? A longer look at the history resolved the conflict.
Napoleon had of course overrun a large part of Europe and installed his brothers as kings so he could control them. This was true of Holland where Napoleon had sent his youngest brother, Louis Napoleon. Hortense Bonaparte, the daughter of Josephine, had followed her husband when they were installed as King and Queen. Napoleon was furious when Louis actually refused to raise troops for his battles and made many decisions to help his charges. Napoleon forced him to abdicate in 1810 and incorporated Holland into France. However a Dutch revolt in November 1813 enabled Holland to regain its freedom and its ruler.
And thus it was that this picture could be published in London on 1st January 1814. Now, we can look at this interesting engraving in more detail. For this you need to imagine you are a well-educated person in England, reading the papers over the Christmas holidays and chuckling at this engraving with all its classical references.
Napoleon is dangling from a strong beam and obviously annoyed by the dutchman playing the violin and singing “Long live orange”, a reference to their new sovereign, William of Orange.
The beam is upheld by two pillars identified as “Hercules” and “Pillars”. The whole structure is actually a weighing machine, weighing the value of Napoleon.
The Pillars of Hercules have been well known since Greek times as marking the passage between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic beyond. The first Pillar is the rock of Gibraltar. There are also candidates on the African side of the Straits but its exact position is disputed. They are said to represent the furthest path of Hercules journey. Their significant is that they mark the end of the Mediterranean and the beginning of the largely unknown reaches of the Atlantic. Continue at your peril is the warning.
On the water we can see sailing vessels crossing. The beam is inscribed with the words “ne plus ultra”. The contemporary reader would understand that these Latin words can be translated as the peak of perfection. The inference is that no-one can do better than Hercules. Napoleon has clearly failed in his attempt to do so.
As Napoleon swings, his broken sword is inscribed “Tyranny”.
The cock of France screams happily on the beam, representing the French Nation and, at this time, the Royal Family. Football fans will know this symbol well!
The final dagger is the weights attached to the beam. The bag on the left is marked “Allied Sovereigns” and the one on the right marked “Balance of Power”.
If you understand the details of this engraving, you really need to know little more about the future of France.
