Title page for the following album:
This satirical album, "The Imperial Menagerie," consists of 31 hand-colored lithograph plates by the artist Hadol, published in Paris around 1870. The collection portrays various figures from the royal family and prominent politicians during the time of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) as anthropomorphic animals.
The title page features Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic, unveiling the title and setting the tone for the biting political commentary within. Each caricature merges human and animal traits to critique the depicted individual's characteristics or political actions, symbolizing the leaders' perceived failings and excesses. The album serves as a humorous yet scathing historical commentary on French leadership during a tumultuous era.
Bartele Gallery. Original antique maps, sea charts, engravings and works on paper. This is a plain text rendering of a page that is otherwise built in the browser. The catalogue index is at https://www.bartele.net/catalogue and machine readable notes are at https://www.bartele.net/llms.txt.