Unusual
article | Reading time5 min
These caricatures offer a glimpse into how Léon Gambetta might have been perceived by contemporaries. Discover some satirical illustrations on display at the Maison des Jardies!
Gambetta caricatured
The rise of the satirical press
Following the fall of the Second Empire, the Third Republic was proclaimed, bringing with it the restoration of freedom of expression. The press flourished without repression; newspapers of all political persuasions sprang up, many of which were satirical in nature. Caricature took centre stage, democratising the portrayal of political power and its iconic figures.
Léon Gambetta became a favourite target for caricaturists, who seized upon the orator’s physical features: a bulging glass eye, a prominent nose and a stocky build. A man of character and an iconic figure of the republican movement, caricatures of the statesman abounded in the newspapers of the late 19th century. Far from taking offence, Gambetta developed a habit of collecting the satirical drawings in which he appeared.
© Jonathan Legros / Maison des Jardies
The Gallic Rooster
For nearly two decades, Gambetta was to inspire numerous artists such as Alfred Le Petit. A press cartoonist and founder of satirical newspapers, Le Petit was one of the most popular French caricaturists between the 1870s and 1900.
For the cover of the newspaper *Le Pétard* dated 1877, he depicted Gambetta as a tricolour Gallic rooster puffing out his chest. This theme was regularly used in caricatures of Gambetta. At that time, he embodied the quintessential patriot. This caricature crossed borders, as it was reproduced by an anonymous artist and published in the Italian edition of the newspaper *Le Perroquet*.
Alfred Le Petit also adapted this theme in 1878 on dessert plates for the World’s Fair. He added, in the background, three caricatures of figures symbolising the Legitimists, the Orléanists and the Bonapartists.
© Séverine Drigeard / Maison des Jardies
Licence to caricature
Another renowned caricaturist to have drawn Léon Gambetta, André Gill published his caricatures in numerous magazines of which he was the founder, such as *La Lune rousse* and *Les Hommes d’aujourd’hui*. His incisive style, which can be seen in *Le Lutteur*, was particularly appreciated by Gambetta.
It should be noted that from the Second Empire until the July 1881 Act on freedom of the press, press cartoonists were required to obtain written authorisation from those they wished to caricature. Although some celebrities refused, republicans such as Gambetta readily agreed to be caricatured. Indeed, this provided them with a kind of illustrated platform. It was a way of publicly sharing their ideas in a lighter, more accessible format.
To discover more caricatures of the orator and learn more about his life, read the history of the monument and don’t delay in organising your visit to the Maison des Jardies!
© DR