Sovereigns, 1869

James Tissot's satirical cartoon "Sovereigns" (1869) depicts a caricature of Napoleon III, Emperor of France, as a haggard man clinging to a woman symbolizing the Republic, who shushes him with a finger to her lips. The work, published in Vanity Fair magazine, was likely meant to mock the Emperor and his perceived weakness in the face of the burgeoning Republican movement. The work is a prime example of satirical art and political caricature, highlighting the social and political anxieties of the time.