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42 The Leader and Saturday Analyst. [Jan...
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LETTER EROM GERMANY. Hanover, January St...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Caricatu11a. • ' '• ' If We Consider, Fo...
Bible exaggerated but little . To the faithful eyes of some , his picture histories appeal more forcibly than written tragedies or sermons . His Dying Rake and Harlot preach against waste , folly , and vice , quite as forcibly as Baxter Or Sherlock ; his V Marriage a la Mode " is a sound treatise against niaridges de convenance from both sides of the question , and a hundred years ago pointed out the end of very many such alliances , quite as accurately as any report which might be selected from the scandalous chronicle of Sir Cresswell Cresswell ' s Court . But beyond this , Hogabth possessed that brood English humour—call it "fun if you like—and that expansive intellect and feeling heart , without which no pencilsatirist can hope to attain greatness . Let any one look well into
his " March to Finch ley " if he can without laughing . Let him mark in his " Times of the Day " that wonderful face of the boy , who having rested his pie-dish on a post , has put it down with such force as to break it , and then say whether he be most inclined to laugh at or cry with the urchin ? Hogabth was capital with boys . In fact , the London gamin has had a succession of artists , who have each studied and understood him , and who have or should have made him famous . Hogaeth , Cbuikshank , Leech , each of these have been wonderfully successful with boys . Hogaeth ' s pictures are known to all who love caricature , political or social , pasquinade or satire ; but his merit and his price alike narrowed his public ;—he was not for the shop windows , like Sayeb , Gileay , the elder Cbuikshank , Woodwaed , arid Rowlandson .
Saver , a little anterior to Gileay , may be only mentioned as a connecting link 5 compared with either GilkaYj Woodward , or Eowiandson , he was feeble enough . It is worth while however to look over an old folio , and to mark what pleased our . grandfathers or great-grandfathers before even PLAKCTTS . was consul . To say truth , mutatis mutandis , we do not appear to have made much progress . Dead enough , in all conscience , are . some of their jokes now , but we niust remember the effervescent nature of these witticismSj which , like soda water , are only palatable when freshly poured out . The biggest stones which an artist both then and now could throw against
were bur grandmothers with the Grecian " stoop" and scant dress , and richly clustered hair , such as the Princess Chablotte wore , as Mrs . Joedan charmed with , and under which the busy brain of wicked Mrs . Clabke planned her sale of commissions—a sale the effects of winch lasted in our army until the time of the Crimea . A little further back are our great-grandfathers and mothers ; grandfathers with powder arid pigtail , looldng killing as beau or blood * and with complexions blooming , like only English faces can , beneath the contrast of the white powdered wig . Our grandmothers drawn ponderously by Bunbtjby , but fresh , riantes , or matronlyas the case may be , in mob caps and tuckers , or in hair
, a foot or a yard above their heads , or languishing with natural curls tied with blue ribbon , after the manner of Angelica Kattfeman . They will bring to mind the sturdy old days of Pitt , Bubke , and Fox , —Fox the beloved , the butcher , the gambler , or the spotless patriot—the sansculotte '; or the Hampden—Cicebo or Catiline— eminent in each character , under every name , fitted "¦ to reign in hell or serve in heaven , " but still the chief figure of the picture . Addington , the doctor Sidiiouth , Canning , Peel , Russell , Diseaeli , or Palmebston ; let the leaves fly . But the lesson is not lost ; the wit is dead , though gaiety is that of the empty mask of comedy , with inane grin lying upon an actor ' s tomb .
It is probable that almost all the popular ideas of prime ministers and leading politicians have been moulded and shaped by thecai-icaturist . Who does riot know the pompous yet kindly Peel , the versatile , large-hearted , and large-brained Heney Bbotjgham , Russell , or Palmebston , better by Leech ' s pencil , than by any other portrait ? When we see the great originals , we are disappointed that they do not come up to the wood-cuts ; that " Pam" is not so jaunty , nor Bbougham : so . eccentric as he is drawn . We shape the ideal head to the speech , and measure the action by the dress . The caricaturist has been up earlier than the historian , and has stolen a , march on him . He influences popular knowledge , though forgotten ; the very water in the well of truth is stained by his ink ; and to the end of time , we shall never be quite sure that Palmeeston does not carry a perpetual bit of straw in his mouth , or that the nose of Oliver Cromwell was not as red as the lattice of a country roadside inn , so deeply are we tinged with the ^ teachings of the caricaturist . ¦ - _ * . ; The art iii its modern phases has yet to be considered . ,
a minister , were love of place , love of money , and a perfectly ravenous appetite for a bribe . Contemporary history and private letters show that these accusations ; foul as they are , were not always wrong . They hit hard too . The mud stuck , and more than one Caricaturist has , like Cerberus , been silenced with a sop . But then , in those days , ministers did curious things . They , pensioned an infamous writer , Avhose title-page declared he painted " in glowing colours . " the adventures of " ayounglady ; " while they brought lip orator Henley before the Council ; to remonstrate with , and to threaten him . '
The social caricature was of precisely the . same nature as is the social -cut- in last week ' s Punch . Woodwaed , Bunbuey and Leech have all attacked dress , fashion , manner , and the insolent assumption of the three . Hogaeth was the author of just as hard cuts at ladiesMioops , as Leech is against crinoline , and both were equally powerless . The frivolity of Fashion resembles certain fevers , which no physician attempts to stop , being quite aware that they will run their course . With oixr present social caricaturist there is this to be remarked , that it is difficult to say whether or not he does not aid in the absurdity he condemns . Dozens of young ladies and " swells'' no doubt dress up to Mr . Leech ' s figures ; and it is difficult to say whether he copies the . smart , piquant / ace that we so
often meet with from his pencil , or whether the young ladies ( and young men too ) do not dress to resemble his figures as nearly as they can . With , Woodwaed and Rowlandson there is this difference : their fun was rude and boisterous , often cruel , and almost always accompanied . by an open or a latent indecency . People falling down stairs , skaters tumbling through the ice , and in their grotesque struggles poking their skate points or sticks into their neighbours ' eyes or mouths , breaking their own backs or heads , or their horses ' logs , and similar subjects not by any means pleasant to contemplate , nve the staple , subjects of their plates . Dress gavp great opportunities for indecency ,- —and Rowlandson , a fine free draughtsman , a kind of Rcbens in his walk of art , never lost one .
Gilbay—employed by a Bond Sjtreet publisher , aixd bound to work only for him , yet continually produced plates which he sold elsewhere witli other signatures- —was a man of fine genius , and under other circumstances might have achieved a greater and purer fame . Often 09 ho . struolc . at a" minister or satirised a courtier , ho yet more often returned to the battle which ho loved to wage—that ng"ftin , st Buonaparte . With him the Cpraiqan was a murderer , a fanatic , a tyrant ; an invader with death ' s head and dripping 1 sword ; i \ ghoul who loyed to feunt on human flesh ; an incarnate fiend , a demon . Single-handed , Gilbay fed and nursed the flame of hatred which burnt so steadily and so long in these islands against that potentate , whether as general , - first consul , or emperor . Napoleon himself perceived it , and coin plained of it . His empress and generals
came in for a share of Gjlhay ' s pictorial wrath . Ministers , who nt tho time of the trial of Peltier were not unwilling to conciliato the master of a hundred legions , in vain attempted to stop Gilbay . TI 10 shop windows still deployed tho bright colours of the newest print , wherein , as incendiary or demon , tho chiof person wns still Nax'oleon Buonaparte . If , according to tho diotutn of tho latter , ono newspaper editor wore worse than five corps d ' armtie -noting against him , surely Gilbay , with his enormous effect on tho British mind , then hardly swayed or tfiwght . by loading 1 articles , wns worse than fivo editors , Ana if wo of the volunteer corps wish to realise the intonso hatred , tho indignation , tho burning passion with which moat of our fathers regarded tho firyt Napoleon , wo have only to turn over some old caricatures . How the old times rise before us , summoned by ( he tricksy Ariul of art , ns wo look over them . Here
42 The Leader And Saturday Analyst. [Jan...
42 The Leader and Saturday Analyst . [ Jan . 14 , i 860 .
Letter Erom Germany. Hanover, January St...
LETTER EROM GERMANY . Hanover , January Sth , I 860 : npfitE opening of the Prussian Parliament will take place on X Thursday next ; when it is expected the Prince Regent will deliver the speech from tho throne ; in which will -. be urged the acceptance of the measures that will be brought forward by the Ministry , with reference to the reorganization of the army . The prince and his ministers are of one accord as to these measures , though it appears that the Minister of Finance required a pledge that no additional taxes should be demanded . According to the JSTew Prussian Gazette , it has been resolved to apply five million thalersbf the loan of forty millions still in hand towards defraying the costs of the alterations during the first year ; but all future
disbursements are to be covered by the grant already made , of twentyfive per cent , on the income and class tax , which brings in , at present , about three million and a half thalers ; . two millions more are expected to be obtained from the surplus income of the coming year—an anticipation which will , in all probability , be realized , should peace be maintained , and trade and ¦ manufactures continue as prosperous , as they have hitherto , been during peace and the absence of war alarms , The Prince Regent , in his reply to the congratulations of the ministers and tho generals on New Year ' s day , laid particular stress on the unanimity existing between himself and the C abinet upon all general questions , and especially thanked the Minister of Finance for his ready acquiescence in his views respecting the financial measures to be laid before the parliament with
reference to tho reorganization of the army . Ho called to mind tho intentions of his father , King Frederick William III ., upon this important question , and tho many circumstances which wad occurred to px'event those intentions" from t > eing carried into effect . The weightiest reason , however , was tho vast strides that had been made in every department of agricultural and manufacturing industry . The present constitution of tho Prussian army proved , itself to betotally unsuited to tho state of society and the progress of civilization . Instead of increasing * the powers of the nation , it crippled them , by withdrawing from their occupations those who were tho chief support of the finances of the country . The prince concluded by expressing a hope that both ministry and parliament would lend him their aid in accomplishing 1 this most needful reform .
The newly appointed Ambassador of Austria to the Cabinet of Berlin has arrived . It is said he is charged with a special mission connected with tho Rornagna and the French pamphlet , against which tho Cabinet of Vienna would be happy to get up a demon stration in conjunction with Prussia and Russia , if it were possible . The Austrian Government cannot roconcilo itself to . * the fact that tho Holy Alliance is a tiling of the past , never to be called into Hfo again . There is probably little truth in the report . Indeed , Austria , has nothing to expect either from Prussia or Russia ; tho latter , through its journals and diplomatic agents , rtiay 'drop now mul then expressions of dissatisfaction with the policy of Louis Napoleon , and his apparent determination to trample upon treaties , but Austria ' s ofibnoo during- the wnr in the Crimea is not forgotten , nor over will
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 14, 1860, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14011860/page/14/
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