The Russian colossus, Isaac Cruikshank, 1799

Suvóroff, holding a french army in each crooked elbow, his right foot planted on paris (left), a fortified town, is about to put his left foot on 'peters[burg]. His appearance and dress, though caricatured, are less grotesquely untrue to life than in earlier prints. In his cartouche box, inscribed 'les directoire', are the five directors; he removes a long pipe from his mouth to emit a blast of smoke at them, saying, "there now, be quiet will you". They say: "this monster will be the destruction of us all". In his right arm is 'moreau's army'; in his left, 'macdonalds army' (men, horses, flags, cannon, and bayonets). Through his legs is seen 'turin'. On the extreme left 'spain', at which he emits a blast from his posteriors. From petersburg issue the words: 'here he comes - here he comes got them all in his knapsack. ' 15 july 1799 hand-coloured etching. Date: 1799. Dimensions: Height: 403 mm; Width: 276 mm (cropped). Medium: paper. Depicted People: Paul François Jean Nicolas, Vicomte de Barras. Collection: British Museum. The Russian colossus (BM 1868,0808.12547)