Satirical Anthropomorphic Map Illustrating End of Franco-Prussian War

"L'Europe en 1871 Carte Psychologique...",

This superb satirical map by Paul Hadol shows Europe at the end of the Franco-Prussian War and serves as an update to his 1870 Nouvelle Carte d'Europe. Most of the countries are depicted anthropomorphically, with a few shown as objects, to illustrate their "psychological" position after the war. France is now a weeping Marianne, mourning the loss of her children, Alsace and Lorraine, which she lost to Germany at the end of the war. Based in Paris, Hadol had witnessed first-hand France's devastating defeat and the deadly Siege of Paris (September 1870 - January 1871). The new German Empire is depicted as Otto von Bismarck grabbing the two children and putting pressure on Austria with his knee, while Prussia "extends its weight over Germany." Bismarck also carries a pilfered clock, a recurrent symbol in the map as apparently many were looted by the Germans at the end of the war. Switzerland, Belgium and Holland are clocks "awaiting the furniture removers of William," referring to William I, German Emperor. England "forgets herself in gin" while Ireland is depicted as bottles of gin. Turkey in Europe "seeks an abductor" and Turkey in Asia is depicted as a lounging maiden smoking a hookah. Italy is illustrated as its leader, Giuseppe Garibaldi, sitting on top of Pope Pius IX. An ominous-looking Russia dominates the view, holding a net to capture "several pendulums" (clocks), with his foot on the Caucasus and Siberian prisoners behind him. French text below the map describes each country. Printed by Lemercier and published by the Office of l'Eclipse. This map was published in the summer of 1871, with the first known advertisements of the map in the French national press at the end of June 1871. This later edition of Hadol's map is much less common than the 1870 edition.

Paul Hadol (1835-1875) was a well-known magazine illustrator and satirical cartoonist in France, often contributing to Andre Gill's Le Charivari, among other publications. He is perhaps best known for his satirical work La Menagerie Imperiale, which was a series of anthropomorphic caricatures of famous personages associated with Napoleon III.

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Condition: B+

Bold color with light soiling, professionally backed in thin, archival tissue to repair some marginal tears.