The Plumb-pudding in danger

Last updated
The Plumb-pudding in danger; - or - State Epicures taking un Petit Souper Caricature gillray plumpudding.jpg
The Plumb-pudding in danger; - or - State Epicures taking un Petit Souper

The Plumb-pudding in danger, or, State Epicures taking un Petit Souper is an 1805 editorial cartoon by the English artist James Gillray. The popular print depicts caricatures of the British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger and the newly-crowned Emperor of France Napoleon, both wearing military uniforms, carving up a terrestrial globe into spheres of influence. It was published as a hand-coloured print and has been described by the National Portrait Gallery as "probably Gillray's most famous print" and by the British Library as "one of Gillray's most famous satires dealing with the Napoleonic wars".

Contents

Background

Gillray's print is a satire on the overtures made by Napoleon in January 1805 for a reconciliation with Britain during the War of the Third Coalition. The short-lived Peace of Amiens, a treaty between Britain and France, had ended in 1803, and Napoleon was threatening to invade Britain with his Grande Armée based at Boulogne.

The peace overtures came to naught: before the end of the year, a combined Franco-Spanish fleet would be decisively defeated by the Royal Navy at the Battle of Trafalgar, giving Britain unrivalled control of the seas, but Napoleon would establish a dominant position in Europe by first defeating an Austrian army through manoeuvre in the Ulm Campaign, and then winning a great victory over a combined Russian-Austrian army at the Battle of Austerlitz, ending the Third Coalition with the 1805 Peace of Pressburg.

Description

Pitt and Napoleon are seated on opposite sides of a dining table, each using a carving knife and carving fork to cut pieces from a large spherical plum pudding bearing a map of the world, with the British Isles at the centre between them. The scene is replete with iconography referring to the contemporary political situation the Napoleonic Wars.

Pitt, sitting to the left, is depicted tall and emaciated. He wears a red regimental uniform of the British Army – perhaps the Cinque Port Volunteer Corps that he had raised in Kent – with powdered hair in a queue, and a cocked tricorn hat. His fork resembles a three-pronged trident, referring to Britain's naval might, and he is carving a slice of sea to the west of the British Isles marked "ocean" and "West Indies".

Napoleon, to the right, the "little corporal", is much smaller in height and stockier in build, with a prominent hooked nose. He wears the blue coat of the Imperial French Army, and his large fore-and-aft bicorn hat has an extravagant feather plume reminiscent of a French cock. His large knife resembles a military sword, and his two-pronged fork is embedded over a region marked "Hanover", home of the ruling British monarchs of the House of Hanover. He is cutting away a slice of land to the east of the British Isles marked "Europe", but his piece of land is much smaller than Pitt's portion of sea.

The pudding rests on a large gold platter at the centre of the table, which is covered by a white tablecloth. Pitt and Napoleon each have a smaller gold plate ready for their slices, Pitt's bearing the British Royal Coat of Arms and Napoleon's an imperial crown. The back of Pitt's chair is decorated with the image of lion carrying a cross of St George (sometimes a Union Flag) and Napoleon's has an Imperial eagle clutching a bonnet rouge.

The printing plate measures 10.25 by 14.25 inches (260 mm × 362 mm) and was typically impressed on paper measuring around 10.5 by 15 inches (270 mm × 380 mm). The print includes at top left the title "The Plumb-pudding in danger; - or - State Epicures taking un Petit Souper" the latter half in French, meaning 'state gourmets taking a little supper' – "Epicures" refers to the Greek hedonist philosopher Epicurus. Below this is a quotation attributed to William Windham in the Political Register newspaper, but actually taken from Shakespeare's The Tempest , Act 4, Scene 1, lines 153-4:

"The great Globe itself and all which it inherit", is too small to satisfy such insatiable appetites.
  - - Vide Mr W-d-m's eccentricities, in ye Political Register.

An inscription also records that the print was designed and made by James Gillray, but it was not numbered or signed.

Reception

The print was published by Hannah Humphrey, of 27 St James's Street in London, on 26 February 1805, and was originally sold for about five shillings. There are examples in many museum and private collections. It has been described by Martin Rowson as "probably the most famous political cartoon of all time … stolen over and over and over again by cartoonists ever since". [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fork</span> Utensil to spear food

In cutlery or kitchenware, a fork is a utensil, now usually made of metal, whose long handle terminates in a head that branches into several narrow and often slightly curved tines with which one can spear foods either to hold them to cut with a knife or to lift them to the mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty of Amiens</span> 1802 Treaty during the War of the Second Coalition

The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ended hostilities between France, the Spanish Empire, and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it set the stage for the Napoleonic Wars. Britain gave up most of its recent conquests; France was to evacuate Naples and Egypt. Britain retained Ceylon and Trinidad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Austerlitz</span> 1805 battle of the Napoleonic Wars

The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive military engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in the Austrian Empire. Around 158,000 troops were involved, of which around 24,000 were killed or wounded. The battle is often cited by military historians as one of Napoleon's tactical masterpieces, in the same league as other historic engagements like Cannae or Gaugamela. The military victory of Napoleon's Grande Armée at Austerlitz brought the War of the Third Coalition to an end, with the Peace treaty of Pressburg signed by the French and Austrians later in the month. These achievements did not establish a lasting peace on the continent. Austerlitz had driven neither Russia nor Britain, whose armies protected Sicily from a French invasion, to settle. Meanwhile, Prussian resistance to the growing power of French military invasions in Central Europe led to the War of the Fourth Coalition in 1806.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War of the Third Coalition</span> 1805–1806 conflict during the Napoleonic Wars

The War of the Third Coalition was a European conflict lasting from 1805 to 1806. During the war, France and its client states under Napoleon I opposed an alliance, the Third Coalition, which was made up of the United Kingdom, the Austrian Empire, the Russian Empire, Naples, Sicily, and Sweden. Prussia remained neutral during the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political cartoon</span> Illustration used to comment on current events and personalities

A political cartoon, also known as an editorial cartoon, is a cartoon graphic with caricatures of public figures, expressing the artist's opinion. An artist who writes and draws such images is known as an editorial cartoonist. They typically combine artistic skill, hyperbole and satire in order to either question authority or draw attention to corruption, political violence and other social ills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blood sausage</span> Traditional sausage dish

A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Gillray</span> British artist (1756–1815)

James Gillray was a British caricaturist and printmaker famous for his etched political and social satires, mainly published between 1792 and 1810. Many of his works are held at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Romanian cuisine is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been mainly influenced by Turkish and a series of European cuisines in particular from the Balkans, or Hungarian cuisine as well as culinary elements stemming from the cuisines of Central Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of the Czech Republic

Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries and nations. Many of the cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated within the Czech lands. Contemporary Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods; the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on weekends.

The historical form of service à la russe is a manner of dining with courses brought to the table sequentially, and the food portioned on individual plates by the waiter. It contrasts with the older service à la française, based on several courses brought to the table simultaneously, in an impressive display of tureens and serving dishes, with diners plating food themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Machault</span>

Fort Machault was a fort built by the French in 1754 near the confluence of French Creek with the Allegheny River, in northwest Pennsylvania. The fort helped the French control these waterways, part of what was known as the Venango Path from Lake Erie to the Ohio River.

Events in the year 1805 in Art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Scotland

Scottish cuisine encompasses the cooking styles, traditions and recipes associated with Scotland. It has distinctive attributes and recipes of its own, but also shares much with other British and wider European cuisine as a result of local, regional, and continental influences—both ancient and modern.

<i>The Accomplisht Cook</i> 1660 English cookery book by Robert May

The Accomplisht Cook is an English cookery book published by the professional cook Robert May in 1660, and the first to group recipes logically into 24 sections. It was much the largest cookery book in England up to that time, providing numerous recipes for boiling, roasting, and frying meat, and others for salads, puddings, sauces, and baking. Eight of the sections are devoted to fish, with separate sections for carp, pike, salmon, sturgeon, and shellfish. Another section covers only eggs; and the next only artichokes.

<i>The Experienced English Housekeeper</i> 1769 cookery book by Elizabeth Raffald

The Experienced English Housekeeper is a cookery book by the English businesswoman Elizabeth Raffald (1733–1781). It was first published in 1769, and went through 13 authorised editions and at least 23 pirated ones.

<i>The Modern Cook</i> Book by Charles Elmé Francatelli from 1846

The Modern Cook was the first cookery book by the Anglo-Italian cook Charles Elmé Francatelli (1805–1876). It was first published in 1846. It was popular for half a century in the Victorian era, running through 29 London editions by 1896. It was also published in America.

<i>The English Art of Cookery</i> 1788 English cookery book

The English Art of Cookery is a cookery book of English cuisine by the tavern cook Richard Briggs, first published in 1788.

The Epicure's Almanack; or, Calendar of Good Living, was a guide to eating establishments in London, written by Ralph Rylance and published by Longman in 1815. Given the poor reception of the initial printing, there was no effort to pull together any later edition. The book was republished by the British Library in 2013, with extensive commentary by Janet Ing Freeman.

References

  1. Martin Rowson, speaking on The Secret of Drawing, presented by Andrew Graham Dixon, BBC Television.