Carte drôlatique d'Europe pour 1870 /
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| Format: | Map |
| Language: | French |
| Published: |
Paris :
Imprimerie Vallée,
1870.
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| Item Description: | Satirical map of Europe on the eve of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). "This map, covering all of Europe, is a comic panorama wherein the individual nations take the telling forms of cartoonish personifications. At the center of the conflict are France, represented by a fierce bearded soldier with a bayonet, and Prussia, represented by the bloated body of Otto von Bismarck. The subsequent conflict between France and Prussia resulted in a powerful, unified German Empire and a humiliated France--a situation that set the stage for two world wars. Prussia, depicted as an overweight giant, is poised to dominate Europe. He has one knee on Austria, which he dominates. His right hand embraces the Netherlands. Belgium is squeezed uncomfortably between the giants of France and Prussia. England is represented by an elderly woman keeping an eye on but ultimately turning her back on continental Europe. Ireland is depicted as a mischievous cat on a leash. Spain lounges on top of a dominated Portugal. Corsica and Sardinia are consolidated in the figure of a comic street urchin with elfin characteristics mooning Italy and possibly the reader. Italy appears as Giuseppe Garibaldi, the leader of its national solidarity movement. He looks toward France but holds back the right boot of Prussia. Denmark is a small but bold warrior standing astride Prussia's right arm. Holstein, recently lost to Prussia, is between his legs. Norway and Sweden are combined in the form of a panther leaping into the continental conflict. Switzerland is a tiny cottage without doors or windows. European Turkey and Greece are crushed under the weight of their northern challengers, particularly Austria. Russia is a frightening and dominating bogeyman that the rest of Europe seems to ignore. Satirical and caricature maps existed in Europe from the 14th century but reached a pinnacle of sophistication in the second half of the 19th century. Some of the earliest 19th-century satirical maps merely superimposed dramatic figures on the landscape. As such maps increased in sophistication, the countries themselves were reimagined as comic figures. This map was one of the first to embrace this new style."--Edited text by Kevin Brown, Geographicus Rare Antique Maps website. "L'Angleterre, isolée, peste de rage et en oublie presque l'Irlande qu'elle tient en laisse. L'Espagne fume, appuyée sur le Portugal. La France repousse les envahissements de la Prusse, qui avance une main sur la Hollande l'autre sur l'Autriche. L'Italie, aussi, dit à Bismarck: Ote donc tes pieds de là. La Corse et la Sardaigne ... un vrai Gavroche qui rit de tout. Le Danemarck, qui a perdu ses jambes dans le Holstein, espère les reprendre. La Turquie d'Europe baille et s'éveille. La Turquie d'Asie aspire la fumée de son narguilhé. La Suède fait des bonds de panthère. Et la Russie ressemble à un croquemitaine qui voudrait remplir sa hotte."--Text in lower margin. Includes text. The Cushing Library/Science Fiction copy is part of the Maps of Imaginary Places Collection. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 map : color ; 24 x 38 cm, on sheet 41 x 53 cm |