Gillray04 ~ 'Buonaparte, hearing of Nelson's victory, swears by his sword, to extirpate the English from off the Earth' ~ Published by Hannah Humphrey: December 8, 1798 ~ Hand colored Etching ~ Much of the art by Gillray illustrates one of caricatures' most therapeutic facets, that of refuting fear by portrayal of a weak enemy. In this illustration, Napoleon is satirically mocked by Gillray, ridiculing him as a set of contradictions. First, as a dictator of the Orient, marked clearly by the crescent moon on his enormous hat, the camel, and the oriental tent in the background, and second, the embodiment of French Revolutionary principles. He also plays upon Napoleons stature and his overblown theatrics. Gillray matches the swaggering pose with an unchecked stream of words, and the viewer is invited to regard him as hollow and empty in the face of the British navel victory at Aboukir Bay.

Framed 22 inches x 18 inches ~ $575