"The Barbaric Holy Alliance" from The Complete Works of Béranger 1836

J. J. Grandville’s 1836 lithograph, "The Barbaric Holy Alliance," depicts a satirical scene of military leaders shaking hands and exchanging money. The image is a commentary on the Holy Alliance, a political alliance formed by the leaders of Russia, Austria, and Prussia after the Napoleonic Wars. The use of caricature and exaggeration emphasizes the absurdity and corruption of the alliance, highlighting the dangers of unchecked power. Grandville's work is a quintessential example of political satire in 19th-century France. This lithograph is now held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.