General Frost shaveing little Boney

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William Elmes
active 1797-1820
General Frost shaveing little Boney
Peel 1953
Provenance: 
Formerly owned by Sir Robert Peel.
Notes: 

Lettered with title, text in image and Elmes monogram; with address "E- / Decr 1 1812 Publd by Thos Tegg No.111 Cheapside London / Price One Shilling Coloured."
Plate numbered 181.
Library's copy trimmed within plate mark.

Summary: 

General Frost towers above Napoleon who stands in the snow, his arms folded, while Frost, standing behind him, holds his victim's nose, and flourishes a large razor of 'Russian Steel'. Frost is a grotesque monster, nude to the waist and with the legs of a bear; his great feet are planted upon two groups of little French soldiers, crushing them into the snow. He is emaciated and old, with glaring eyeballs, wide mouth fringed with fang-like teeth, and huge moustache; a blast issues from each nostril; one inscribed 'North' slants down upon Napoleon's head, the other, slanting to the right, is inscribed 'North East-Snow and Sleet'; these are white against a dark sky. He has icicles for eyebrows and on his head are jagged pinnacles inscribed 'Mountain of Ice'. This is irradiated by a disk above his head inscribed 'Polar-Star.' His fingers are talons. From his mouth float the words: "Invade My Country indeed-I'll Shave-Freeze-and Bury you in Snow-You little Monkey." Tears fall from Napoleon's eyes, and he says: "Pray-Brother-General-have Mercy, dont overwhelm me with your hoary element, You have so niped me, that my very Teeth chatter Oh-dear-I am quite Chop fallen." A telescope is thrust under his arm. He wears the wide plumed bicorne of earlier caricatures. In the background on the left is 'Moscow' in flames; on the right the buildings of 'Petersbourg', and, nearer the foreground, 'Riga.' Above the horizon rise icebergs in fantastic shapes.

Classification: 
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