Le plébiscite
1870
In this chaotic 1870 engraving, Edmond Morin satirizes the French plebiscite by depicting a bearded figure—likely representing Napoleon III—stirring a massive cauldron labeled 'Urna Plebis' (Urn of the People). While a winged figure blows a trumpet in the smoky heavens above, a frantic crowd of tiny citizens scrambles below, fighting and rushing around as if caught in a political storm. Morin captures the absurdity of the vote, suggesting the 'will of the people' was being cooked up by those in power rather than freely expressed. It's a sharp, witty critique of democracy under the Second Empire, proving that political cartoons have always been a great way to call out the establishment.
- Technique
- Engraving