The accompanying title to the major Museum exhibition, Bonaparte and the British prints and propaganda in the age of Napoleon 5 February 2014 – 16 August 2015. We are pleased to offer this title at the special Museum price of £20.00 (RRP £25.00)
The exhibition marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, one of the most decisive battles ever fought. A crucial event in European history, ending over 20 years of conflict and bringing to his knees one of Europe’s most challenging figures – Napoleon Bonaparte.
This fascinating book explores through contemporary prints how Bonaparte was seen from across the English Channel where hostile propaganda was tempered by admiration for his military and administrative talents.
Featuring works from the British Museum’s world-renowned collection of political satires, including examples by the greatest masters of the genre, James Gillray, Thomas Rowlandson and George Cruikshank, the authors examine in detail these fascinating and humorous prints.
Attitudes to Bonaparte were coloured by political tensions in Britain as highlighted in satires of Charles James Fox, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Lord Holland and other radicals. French, German, Russian and Spanish copies of British prints demonstrate the wide dissemination of prints and the admiration of continental artists for British satirists.
From portraits of the handsome young general to the resplendent Emperor to the cast of his death mask, this book explores crucial events of Bonaparte’s career and the period.
French satires showing the British in relation to Bonaparte are also included alongside portraits of Bonaparte and his family made for the British market.
This richly illustrated title reveals the stories behind the prints, explaining how satire was used as propaganda and how the artists worked. It features intricately detailed prints in full colour, bringing to life a key period in European history.
About the Authors
Tim Clayton is a leading authority on British prints of the period and the author of several critically acclaimed military histories.
Sheila O’Connell is curator of British prints before 1900 at the British Museum