Rowlandson and Continental Europe

Britain’s rivalry with the powers of Continental Europe, particularly France, provided rich material for satirists. Following the French Revolution of 1789, France was at war with Britain almost continually between 1793 and 1815, and many of Rowlandson’s prints play on the resulting unease and distrust.

Fears that revolutionary ideas would travel to Britain led to the formation of a number of loyalist societies, dedicated to countering the perceived threat. One of these, the Crown and Anchor Society, paid Rowlandson to produce propaganda against French influence.

Napoleon Bonaparte, the military commander who became Emperor of France and who placed members of his family on the thrones of Spain and the Netherlands, was widely feared and hated. British caricaturists depicted him as ‘Nappy’ or ‘Little Boney’, ridiculing his ambition and his stature. In contrast, the exploits of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson were widely celebrated.