Item 142
'A Blaze of Triumph!'
Cartoon by Sir John
Tenniel (1820-1914), c. 27 July 1878
Cartoon No.103 inThe Earl of
Beaconsfield K.G. Cartoon's from "Punch", 1843-1878 (London,
1878)
Johnson d. 4933
Item 142
'A Blaze of Triumph!'
Cartoon by Sir John
Tenniel (1820-1914), c. 27 July 1878
Cartoon No.103 inThe Earl of
Beaconsfield K.G. Cartoon's from "Punch", 1843-1878 (London,
1878)
Johnson d. 4933
Disraeli emerged from the Congress of Berlin in 'a blaze of triumph!' Despite its long held antipathy towards the empire, Punch basked in the glory of British diplomacy. This cartoon by Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914) reflects that sentiment, while satirising Disraeli's flamboyant past and perceived 'crypto-Jewish' sympathies towards Turkey (see Paul Smith, Disraeli: A Brief Life (New York, 1996; Cambridge, 1999, p. 190). Dressed in tights and a leotard, Disraeli traverses the diplomatic hi-wire. With eyes closed and a grateful Turk perched on his back, the incumbent statesman maintains the balance between war and 'peace with honour'.
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