Karikatuur van een Franse commandant die instructies krijgt van zijn meerdere 1843

Edouard de Beaumont made this lithograph, titled "A Diplomatic Instruction," in France during the 19th century. It depicts a high-ranking officer giving orders to a subordinate, ostensibly about civilizing the Marquesas Islands. However, the text below the image reveals a darker intent. The superior tells the commander that his task is to "confine the men and render the women more savage," which exposes the hypocrisy of colonial missions framed as benevolent. The French saw themselves as bringers of civilization, but their actual practices often involved exploitation and control. The setting—an opulent, domestic interior—contrasts sharply with the violent implications of the order being given. To fully understand this artwork, we must research French colonial history and the ideologies that justified it. Political cartoons like this are valuable historical documents, as they lay bare the social commentary of their time and expose the contradictions inherent in imperial projects.