Plump to the Devil We Boldly Kick'd Both Nap and His Partner Joe - Thomas Rowlandson

A satirical 1813 etching by Thomas Rowlandson depicting the expulsion of Napoleon and his brother Joseph by a devil.

Thomas Rowlandson was a prolific British caricaturist whose work captured the turbulent political climate of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This etching, published by Thomas Tegg in 1813, serves as a visual commentary on the Napoleonic Wars. The scene depicts a grotesque, horned devil physically ejecting Napoleon Bonaparte and his ally, King Joseph Bonaparte, into a fiery abyss. Rowlandson employs his characteristic style of exaggerated physical features and dynamic movement to convey the anti-French sentiment prevalent in Britain at the time. Napoleon is shown airborne, his sword flailing, while his brother Joseph is depicted in a state of undignified retreat. The composition is structured to emphasise the chaotic nature of the expulsion, with the devil acting as the primary agent of retribution. The background features a simple coastal setting, allowing the focus to remain on the central figures and their dramatic interaction. The use of hand-applied colour adds a layer of visual interest to the etching, distinguishing the figures from the stark, sandy foreground and the flames. Rowlandson's line work is fluid and expressive, typical of his approach to printmaking, where the etching provides a skeletal structure for the subsequent watercolour washes. This work is a representative example of the satirical broadsides that circulated in London print shops, providing a window into the public perception of European power struggles during the early nineteenth century. It remains a document of the era's visual propaganda, reflecting the ways in which political figures were lampooned and dehumanised in the popular press.