Death and Bonaparte, The Two Kings of Terror

Art Historical Context

In the turbulent final days of the Napoleonic Wars, British satirist Thomas Rowlandson crafted *Death and Bonaparte, The Two of Terror* (1814), a hand-colored published by Rudolph Ackermann in London. This second-issue print captures the era's intense anti-Napoleonic, portraying Napoleon alongside the Grim Reaper as twin harbingers of destruction—amidst soldiers, cannons, and. Rowlandson, a master of caricature in the Georgian tradition, used exaggerated forms and dark humor to mock the French emperor's military ambitions, reflecting Britain's propaganda efforts as Napoleon's empire crumbled after defeats like Leipzig in 1813. The medium of hand-colored etching was ideal for such political satire: affordable, vibrant, and widely circulated in Ackermann's Repository of Arts, making elite commentary accessible to the public. Its bold colors heightened the macabre drama, with skeletal figures symbolizing death's inevitability and Napoleon's tyranny. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this work exemplifies how 19th-century prints shaped public opinion, blending artistry with biting social critique during a pivotal moment in European history.

About the Artist

Thomas Rowlandson|Napoléon Bonaparte|Rudolph Ackermann, London · 1756–1827

Thomas Rowlandson (1757–1827) was an English artist and caricaturist whose satirical watercolors and prints captured the social life of Georgian Britain with unparalleled wit and technical mastery. Alongside James Gillray, he is recognized as one of the greatest British graphic artists, and his distinctive flowing line and keen observations have made his work integral to understanding late 18th an...