SATYRICAL POLITICAL LOOK AT 18TH CENTURY EUROPE
40 SEPARATELY PUBLISHED ILLUSTRATED PAMPHLETS
PRECURSOR TO MODERN COMICS

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HOOGHE, Romeyn de.

Esopus in Europa.

Amsterdam, Sebastiaan Petzold, 1701-1702.

Quarto (20.4 x 16 cm, approx. 9.8 x 13 cm at platemark). [320] pp. (i.e., 40 fables, each 8 pp). Main title page and the title page of each pamphlet adorned with an etching, 40 in total, all approx. 9.8 cm in height and varying slightly in width. Text age toned, mostly marginal. Bound in contemporary vellum, painted in greyish brown; the spine adorned with brownish-yellow paint and flecks of gold to imitate the appearance of a gilt spine and red titling piece; a few scratches to the paint on the covers, and some fading to the paint elsewhere, especially along the edges and the lower spine. Binding sturdy, internally very good.

This rare emblem book, comprising 40 satirical fables issued in individual fascicles in Amsterdam from 1701-1702, bound together is here offered complete, and rare thus. Created by the prolific Dutch engraver Romeyn de Hooghe (c1645-1708), this work offers a unique perspective on the convoluted state of European politics at the very beginning of the 18^th century during the opening years of the War of Spanish Succession. Born in Amsterdam, de Hooghe was renowned for his versatile style, producing a vast body of work encompassing historical and mythological scenes, landscapes, and contemporary events, often satirical and political in nature. De Hooghe’s political cartoons are now recognized as significant precursors to modern comics. His work often employed a sequential art format, with illustrated panels accompanied by explanatory text, making it a pioneering example of the medium.

In the vein of Aesop’s fables, the present work weaves imaginary conversations between two to four characters, occasionally incorporating monologues and poetry. Each pamphlet is accompanied by an emblematic title etching by de Hooghe, often featuring exotic animals and birds. Some etchings include depictions of relatively new inventions, such as the magic lantern (pamphlet number 2) and the telescope (number 22), as well as everyday objects like spectacles, boards games, chamber pots, kettles and stringed musical instruments (number 32), and the book press (number 38). De Hooghe’s etchings also depict Native Americans, reflecting the growing fascinations with the Americas and its inhabitants (e.g., number 4, “Hansop op de Koord” (Sleeping suit on the Tightrope), and number 40, “De Geplukte Tapoeijer” (The Plucked Tapuyan)).

The primary focus of many of the pamphlets and de Hooghe’s witty illustrations, however, is contemporary politics and foreign affairs, especially Louis XIV and France’s aggressive actions during the early years of the War of Spanish Succession. According to Simon Schama, de Hooghe, “the first great modern graphic satirist”, was enlisted by William III in his relentless war with Louis XIV. “De Hooghe obliged with sprawling cartoons representing the wars against the French monarch and his allies as a battle between liberty and religious despotism” (Schama, 2015).

For example, in “Rouwklagt van de Fransche Apollo over de verdorde Distelbloem” (The Lamentation of the French Apollo over the Faded Thistle, pamphlet number 9), de Hooghe’s title-page etching depicts Louis XIV as Apollo, clad in a wig and spectacles, with a sun-like halo encircling his head, the once-mighty king kneels beside a withered thistle and a flourishing rose. In the background, the Hôtel des Invalides looms large, a stark reminder of the nation's military might and its fading glory.

In another example, “Grafschrift door Marforio over een der Vanders van Jaquet Bandyt” (Epitaph by Marforio about James the Wanderer, pamphlet number 10), de Hooghe addresses the death of James II, the deposed King of England, Ireland, and Scotland. When James passed away in exile in France in 1701, Louis XIV withdrew his recognition of the Protestant William III as king of England and Scotland and instead supported the claim of James’ son, James Francis Edward Stuart. The etching depicts Marforio, one of the five talking statues of Rome, standing on the right and gesturing toward James Stuart, who is portrayed in royal attire but with a broken crown and scepter lying at his feet. Between the two figures, the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris again serves as a striking reminder of France’s foreign meddling.

Another satirical depiction of Louis XIV is featured in de Hooghe’s illustration for “Ptolomeus, Copernicus, en Merkuur op de Parnas over de Zon en de Waereld” (Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Mercury on Parnassus, Speaking about the Sun and the World, pamphlet number 20). The Sun King is portrayed standing on crutches in a dilapidated chariot, hurtling across the globe. The chariot’s seat, a grotesque chamber pot, is where the king relieves himself. Despite his advanced age, he clings to a mask of youth. Driving the chariot is Madame de Maintenon, the king’s wife, while members of the Grand Alliance arrayed against France grasp the reins from her hands: on the one side by the Imperial eagle, symbolizing the Holy Roman Empire, and the Dutch lion on the other, with the unicorn of England offering support.

Philip V, the new Bourbon king of Spain, is the target of “De Spaansche Carravaan” (The Spanish Caravan, pamphlet number 32). With the support of France, the French-born Philippe, Duke of Anjou, ascended to the Spanish throne in November 1700, and in December 1700 he and his court departed France for Spain. In de Hooghe’s accompanying illustration, a comical Spaniard, wearing spectacles and a ruff, cowers beside a heavily laden donkey that carries a curious assortment of possessions: a portrait of his “whore”, a backgammon board, a chamber pot, a guitar, a sword, a dagger, and a kettle. A mounted knight in armor appears on the right, and a large fortress looms in the distance, alluding to the dramatic early stages of the unfolding war between France and Spain and the Grand Alliance.

* Landwehr, Dutch Emblem Books, F111; Landwehr, Romeyn de Hooghe as Book Illustrator, no. 95; Hollstein IX 204-243; Catalogue of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum: Division I. Political and Personal Satires (1870-1954), no. 1345 ff. See also: Simon Schama, “Liberty and laughter will live on”, Financial Times, 7 January 2015, "Life and Arts" section, p. 1.

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