Ruiterstandbeeld voor Napoleon, 1804 1804

Thomas Rowlandson sketched this ink drawing, "Equestrian Statue of Napoleon," in 1804. It depicts Napoleon atop a horse, but it’s the symbols that speak volumes. The horse wears a crown, a parody of power, and tramples a globe labeled with the countries Napoleon sought to dominate. Consider the equestrian statue itself, a motif that stretches back to antiquity, embodying a leader’s strength and authority. We see echoes in Roman emperors and Renaissance princes. Yet, here, it is subverted. The horse is a "hobby horse", a child's toy. It reveals a deep-seated anxiety about unchecked ambition. The diminutive figure mocks Napoleon’s grandiose aspirations, reducing him to a child playing with notions of conquest. This caricature taps into our collective memory, our inherited understanding of power and its potential for corruption, engaging viewers on a subconscious level with both humor and a chilling awareness of the depths of human ambition. Just as power resurfaces in different forms, so too does our need to grapple with its image.