Blucher greeted by His numerous Friends in the Park

Caricature satirising the popularity of Blücher who was part of the Allied sovereigns’ visit to England in June 1814, celebrating the defeat of Napolean by the Allied forces.

Standing with his back to a large tree-trunk (right), is beset by a crowd partly proletarian, partly of would-be fashionables, who wish to touch him or to shake his hand. He wears uniform with jack-boots, without hat, sword, or orders. His arms are raised protestingly and he exclaims: “D—r Friends! Pray let me catch breath: I am really so exhausted by the Ladies kind salutation that I would almost rather be Twelve Months in Campaign! than One Month in this Park.—If you will but be so Kind to give me a little rest I will endeavour to please you all.” 

A ragged boy with a short jacket and the gaiters of a countryman reaches up towards the great man. Beside him a man wearing a small hat, tight-waisted coat, and tight pantaloons pushes forward his pregnant and demurely drooping wife; he says: “Sir! I hope you will be so good as to give my Wife one shake, as really she is in a longing way.” She says: “Indeed Sir I will be contented with one, Indeed I will.”

Behind this couple is a fat meretricious-looking woman with a man in hussar uniform; she says: “I would give Ten Pounds to get hold of His Hand.”

A man dressed like a sailor advances from the extreme left, holding a big frothing tankard marked ‘L M’ (the artist’s initials), saying, “Stand clair, and let me pass—or by Jasus you’ll Kill him with Kindness.” 

On the extreme right a young woman standing behind the tree touches the hero.

Collections:
British Museum : 1935,0522.12.60