RARE 1879 ZULU CARTOON - British Satire - ANGLO-ZULU WAR - Colonialism

Description: SOURCE: This is an original cartoon from British Punch humor and satire magazine, drawn by John Tenniel, published March 1, 1879 and pulled from the magazine; original, not a modern reproduction. Full size: 8 x 10 1/2 inches, including borders. Pictured image is slightly cropped. CONDITION: superb -- still bright paper, clean, dark ink impression, the paper has been humidified and flattened for best appearance and for framing; the backside is blank. NOTE: COMES WITH A SEPARATE PAGE, which contains and accompanying poem to the cartoon; with this is a half page cartoon by George du Maurier. These come together. A LESSONKEYWORDS: Anglo-Zulu War, British Empire, colonialism, prejudice, racism. --"Lesson" appeared in Punch in reaction to recent struggles with the Zulus of southern Africa, in which British forces were surprised by the difficulty they had in suppressing the native tribes. Sir John Tenniel's cartoon depicts a Zulu warrior, equipped with his weapons, writing `Despise not your enemy' on a blackboard, for the edification of the British gentlemen who watches from his stool. The image evokes combination of fear and loathing -- fear of possible defeat in the colonies and loathing of the baser races -- that characterized the English attitude towards African blacks in the later 19th century. While the falling numbers of native and aboriginal populations during the period were taken by many to demonstrate the inevitability of the Darwinian thesis (blacks, the least of the three orders of man, were perceived as doomed to extinction), the Jamaica revolt in the mid-1860s bolstered Victorian fears of the warring ways of native savages in the colonies. Certain African tribes commanded a grudging respect from Englishmen for their military prowess, though it might be of little effect when wielded by an inferior and underdeveloped people. Tenniel's Zulu epitomizes the projection of this duality: his weapons appear `primitive' and exotic next to the English rifle, yet he stands teaching `the lesson' while the Englishman sits regarding him. The physical characterization of the African demonstrates the British perception of native blacks: the influence of contemporary craniological theories is seen in his ape-like prognathous skull shape, implying the ignorance and brutality ascribed by phrenologists and anthropologists. His sparse dress indicates the Victorian characterization of savage and uncivilized natives, which demonstrated to the English an immodesty and immorality (and tendency towards lewdness and sexual promiscuity) typical of beasts and undeveloped children. The Zulu's face is blank and empty, the "invariable and expressionless" features that indicated to Frederic William Farrar the "uniformity" of an incapable and primitive people. That this Zulu is portrayed writing English words is significant in this context. In general, Victorian anthropologists and explorers, due to a complete unfamiliarity with native African tongues, believed their language systems to be haphazard and chaotic, inferior in every way to the defined grammatical structures of English, as well as to other `inflectional' languages of Europe. Tenniel portrays a Zulu who, despite his uncivilized nature and appearance, has mastered the subtleties of English in order to communicate his `lesson' of war to his English listener. While the image is clearly figurative, its message would be received as a threatening blow to many Victorian assumptions regarding black natives. [Quote Elizabeth Hires]--The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Following the passing of the British North America Act of 1867 forming a federation in Canada, Lord Carnarvon thought that a similar political effort, coupled with military campaigns, might succeed with the African Kingdoms, tribal areas and Boer republics in South Africa. In 1874, Sir Bartle Frere was sent to South Africa as High Commissioner for the British Empire to effect such plans. Among the obstacles were the armed independent states of the South African Republic and the Kingdom of Zululand. --Frere, on his own initiative, sent a provocative ultimatum on 11 December 1878 to the Zulu king Cetshwayo and upon its rejection sent Lord Chelmsford to invade Zululand.The war is notable for several particularly bloody battles, including an opening victory of the Zulu at the Battle of Isandlwana, followed by the defence of Rorke's Drift by a small British force from attack by a large Zulu force. The British eventually won the war, ending Zulu dominance of the region. [both wikipedia]Over 4,000 Punch cartoons listed for sale (store category "Punch cartoons"), combine orders and save shipping charges. Questions are always welcome. Please use 'Add to Basket' instead of 'Buy now' if buying more than one so that eBay only charges one lot of postage per order. WHO IS THE ILLUSTRATOR?Sir John Tenniel (28 February 1820 – 25 February 1914) was an English illustrator, graphic humorist and political cartoonist prominent in the second half of the 19th century. An alumnus of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, he was knighted for artistic achievements in 1893, the first such honour ever bestowed on an illustrator or cartoonist.Tenniel is remembered mainly as the principal political cartoonist for Punch magazine for over 50 years and for his illustrations to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871). Tenniel's detailed black-and-white drawings remain the definitive depiction of the Alice characters, with comic book illustrator and writer Bryan Talbot stating, "Carroll never describes the Mad Hatter: our image of him is pure Tenniel."WHAT IS PUNCH?Punch, a magazine of humor and satire, ran from 1841-2002. A very British institution renowned internationally for its wit and irreverence, it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration. Punch was the world's most celebrated magazine of wit and satire. From its early years as a campaigner for social justice to its transformation into national icon, Punch played a central role in the formation of British identity -- and how the rest of the world saw the British nation. In its formative years Punch combined humors, illustration and political debate with a fresh and radical audacity. During its heyday in the late 1800s, it reflected the conservative views of the growing middle-classes and copies of it could be found in the libraries of diplomats, cabinet ministers and even royalty. In the Western world, Punch played a significant role in the development of satire. In the world of illustration, it practically revolutionized it. Over the decades as it charted the interests, concerns and frustrations of the country and today it stands as an invaluable source of cartoon art, satire, but as primary source material for historians.

Price: 29.95 USD

Location: Milton, Vermont

End Time: 2025-01-01T23:20:10.000Z

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