“HAVING BEEN UNABLE TO DIE AT THE HEAD OF MY TROOPS…” - Lot 14

“HAVING BEEN UNABLE TO DIE AT THE HEAD OF MY TROOPS…” ANONYMOUS. Having been unable to die at the head of my troops, I come to lay down my sword at Your Majesty’s feet. [France, 1870]. A black-and-white satirical lithograph depicting Napoleon III handing his sword to William I of Prussia, who is seated on a dais in a solemn pose. The caption parodies the letter sent by Napoleon III to William I after the defeat at Sedan on September 2, 1870, in which the French emperor explained that he had been unable to die among his troops and surrendered his sword to the King of Prussia. A rare example of satirical imagery produced immediately following the Battle of Sedan and the fall of the Second Empire. Browned paper, with some foxing and small marginal tears.

Estimate:£50.86

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