The empire is peace!.
1869
Thomas Nast, the godfather of American political cartooning, serves up a heavy dose of sarcasm in this 1869 illustration. He depicts Napoleon III—hinted at by the 'N' on a soldier's chest—casually riding atop a cannon carriage, flanked by an army of sword-wielding cavalry marching under the Arc de Triomphe. The title, 'The empire is peace!', references Napoleon's famous slogan, but Nast is clearly mocking the contradiction: this 'peace' looks suspiciously like a heavily armed military parade. Created just a year before the Franco-Prussian War, this sketch perfectly captures the tension of an empire armed to the teeth while claiming to be a peacemaker.
- Technique
- Ink drawing
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