Napoleon in de Jacobijnenmuts - Wijnand Esser

A 1815 political satire by Wijnand Esser depicting the capture of Napoleon by Prussian forces, rendered as an etching with hand-colouring.

This political satire, produced in 1815, captures the shifting power dynamics in Europe following the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte. The print depicts a scene where Frederick William III of Prussia, identified by his military uniform, ensnares Napoleon and his associates under a large net. The title, translated as 'I take them all under my net', reflects the geopolitical dominance exerted by the Allied powers during the post-Napoleonic settlement.

Napoleon is shown in a vulnerable position, wearing a red Jacobin cap, which serves as a symbolic reference to the revolutionary ideals that the Allied monarchs sought to suppress. Beside him, figures representing his former allies and officials, including Cambacérès, attempt to manage the collapsing situation. The inclusion of speech bubbles and numbered labels is characteristic of the satirical broadsides of the era, which functioned as accessible visual commentary for a public eager to understand the rapid changes in European governance.

Technically, the work is an etching with hand-applied colour. The composition is structured to prioritise the narrative elements, with the figures arranged in a theatrical manner against a simplified interior. The use of text within the image area provides specific context for the dialogue, allowing the viewer to follow the political grievances and strategic posturing of the depicted figures. As a historical document, the print offers insight into the anti-Napoleonic sentiment prevalent in the Netherlands and the wider European sphere during the Congress of Vienna period. The artist, Wijnand Esser, utilised the medium of the satirical print to disseminate complex diplomatic tensions through accessible, often humorous, visual metaphors.