"In Time All the World Likely to be Cossack or All Republican" – Napoleon I (published in "Time")

Art Historical Context

This striking political cartoon, titled *"In Time All the World Likely to be Cossack or All Republican" – Napoleon I*, was originally published in *Time* magazine between 1889 and 1890. Created by the Time Publishing Co. in collaboration with renowned caricaturist Thomas Nast and editor Charles Anderson Dana, it exemplifies the era's booming tradition of satirical prints. Nast, famous for his Harper's Weekly illustrations that shaped American political iconography—like the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey—brings his sharp wit to this relief print and electrotype, a durable metal reproduction technique ideal for mass newspaper circulation. The imagery draws on Napoleon I as a central figure, surrounded by evocative symbols: centaurs (mythical hybrids suggesting brute power), skulls evoking mortality and conquest, and globes hinting at global ambitions. The provocative title contrasts Cossack authoritarianism—linked to Russian imperial forces—with republican ideals, reflecting late 19th-century anxieties over empire, democracy, and world order amid rising nationalism. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Nast's heirs in 1933), this 11⅛ × 17⅜-inch work captures Nast's mastery of bold lines and exaggerated forms to critique power. For visitors, it's a window into Gilded Age satire, where art fueled public debate on freedom versus tyranny.

About the Artist

Time Publishing Co.|Thomas Nast|Charles Anderson Dana (American|American, born Germany|American) · 1889 |1840 |1819 –1890 |1902 |1897

American, active 1889–90|American (born Germany), Landau 1840–1902 Guayaquil|American, 1819–1897