The Fall Of Napoleon And The First Empire – “the Parade”

The Fall of Napoleon and the First Empire – “The Parade” – Hand-colored satirical print, 1815

A French satirical print hand-colored, titled “The Parade,” created in the context of Napoleon’s fall and the end of the First Empire in 1815.

The composition depicts a burlesque procession in which the Empire’s leading figures are mocked. The characters move through a carnival-like parade, riding donkeys or horses, while numerous details reinforce the scene’s satirical impact.

One of the figures holds up a sign reading “Order to make a hole in the moon,” an ironic allusion to the imperial regime’s ambitions, which were deemed excessive and fanciful. In the background, other inscriptions and caricatured figures contribute to this political critique that accompanied the Second Restoration.

Through its iconography, biting humor, and numerous allusions, this print serves as a testament to the anti-Napoleonic propaganda circulated immediately after Waterloo. It illustrates how popular imagery contributed to the portrayal of Napoleon’s defeat and the collapse of the First Empire.