Napoleon presides at a feast with josephine seated on his left. A sumptuous dessert is on the table, with dishes moulded to represent english buildings, &c. Napoleon has begun to devour 'st james's', but has dropped his fork, and looks round in horror at the words 'mene mene, tekel, upharsin' (l. ) at which the arm of jehovah points. This emerges from clouds, the other arm holds over the head of napoleon a pair of scales; one, inscribed 'vive le roi', contains a crown and outweighs the other, 'despotism', which flies in the air, spilling the contents, shackles and a bonnet rouge. The room is lined with grenadiers at attention, with drawn sabres and pistols in their belts; they are partly obscured by clouds, but their eyes are turned to the writing on the wall. This is also seen by three grenadiers who stand rigidly behind napoleon's chair, their sabres dripping blood, their eyes turned to the left. Of those at the feast only napoleon has seen the message, but the general on his right. Looks with alarm at his master who has overturned three bottles of wine. The others are absorbed in food or women. Josephine, grossly fat, drinks avidly, spilling her wine. Behind her chair stand three slim and meretricious young women, looking down at her: they are scantily clad, with hair arranged in the french manner in snaky ringlets. They are napoleon's three sisters, elisa, pauline, and caroline. The upper end of the table stretches across the foreground. On the extreme left. Arthur o'connor, the only civilian, ogles a lady, holding her chin and offering her a dish of 'pommes d'am[our]', while she holds up a tumbler of wine. In front of him is a decanter labelled 'maidstone'. Between this lady and the general on napoleon's r. Is a grotesque officer greedily devouring a large fragment of the 'tower de londres'. An officer (r. ) ogles a woman with whom he drinks wine. All the women have the patched faces that in these prints indicate dissoluteness. Two of the officers have the plucked scalp of the frenchman in bmsat 9960. Before napoleon is a dish containing the 'bank of england', flying a tricolour flag. The back of his chair is decorated with a carved eagle or vulture whose eyes are turned to the fatal message. Before josephine is a dish inscribed 'prune monsieur' containing two plums; beside it are two bottles of 'maraschino', one overturned. The decollated head of a bishop fills a dish inscribed 'oh de roast beef of old england'. Wine, fruit, and jelly-glasses fill the spaces on the table. August 1803
hand-coloured etching and aquatint. Date: 1803. Dimensions: Height: 253 mm; ; Width: 354 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Élisa Bonaparte, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and Princess of Lucca and Piombino, . Collection: British Museum. The Hand-Writing upon the Wall. (BM 1851,0901.1124)
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