Advanced Search

Learn About The Holocaust

Special Collections

My Saved Research

Login

Register

Help

Skip to main content

Satiric print about the emancipation of the Jews of Westphalia by King Jerome

Object | Accession Number: 2016.184.174

Search this record's additional resources, such as finding aids, documents, or transcripts.

No results match this search term.
Check spelling and try again.

results are loading

0 results found for “keyward

    Satiric print about the emancipation of the Jews of Westphalia by King Jerome

    Overview

    Brief Narrative
    In early July 1807, following Napoleon Bonaparte’s victories over the Prussians at Jena and Auerstädt, and the Russians at Friedland, France signed the Treaties of Tilsit with both nations in Tilsit, Prussia (now Sovetsk, Russia). France and Russia became allies, while Austria and Prussia were divided up between them. From part of the region, Napoleon created The Kingdom of Westphalia, where he installed his brother Jerome as King. The region was struggling financially, prompting Jerome to seek out financial support. He tried to win favor and support with the wealthy Jewish community in his Kingdom by removing many of the restrictions forced on the Jews of Westphalia. He officially removed these restrictions on January 27, 1808. The depicted image is from September 1807, during the time when he was trying to win favor with the community. The Jews are depicted with stereotypical features, like large, pointed noses, fleshy lips, and pointed beards, while the King is similarly depicted, though in reality he was considered to have more classical features. The image plays on the commonly mocked theme of Jewish people enjoying ham, which was forbidden to them. Furthermore, by having the King decree that the ham was now called venison, the artist is poking fun at the Jews and at the actions taken by the King to win their financial backing. The etching is one of the more than 900 items in the Katz Ehrenthal Collection of antisemitic artifacts and visual materials.
    Artwork Title
    King Jerry treating his Jewish subjects with Westphalia Venison!!
    Date
    publication/distribution:  1807 September 15
    Geography
    publication: London (England)
    Credit Line
    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Katz Family
    Markings
    front, top right corner, black ink : 26
    front, bottom left, black ink : Price one Shillg Colored / Woodward delt,
    front, bottom center, black ink : KING JERRY treating his Jewish Subjects with WESTPHALIA VENISON!!
    front, bottom right, black ink : Pubd. Septr. 15th, 1807 / by Thos. Tegg 111 Cheapside.
    front, within image, top, text balloon from King, black ink : My Good and worthy Hebrew Subjects – I am happy to see you enjoy the feast I have prepared for you - / our Illustrious Family reverence the Jews – what you are now partaking of, Vulgar prejudice had given it / the name of Westphalia Ham – but as I know you are not partial to Swines Flesh – it is our Royal / will and pleasure that it shall from henceforth be changed to Westphalia Venison!!
    front, within image, center, text balloon from seated man on left, black ink : It is vera coot indeed you and / your Royal Brothers can turn / anything to vat you please
    front, within image, center, text balloon from seated man in green robe, black ink : As I hope to be shaved I never / tasted better Venison in all / my Life
    front, within image, right, text balloon from seated man in blue jacket, black ink : I vonder if he vants to borrow / some Monies, I would charge / him no more as fivety pr Cent
    front, within image, right, text balloon from seated man in orange jacket, black ink : No you must not charge him / more as dat he is very coot Friend
    Contributor
    Compiler: Peter Ehrenthal
    Publisher: Thomas Tegg
    Artist: George M. Woodward
    Printer: Charles Williams
    Biography
    The Katz Ehrenthal Collection is a collection of more than 900 objects depicting Jews and antisemitic and anti-Jewish propaganda from the medieval to the modern era, in Europe, Russia, and the United States. The collection was amassed by Peter Ehrenthal, a Romanian Holocaust survivor, to document the pervasive history of anti-Jewish hatred in Western art, politics and popular culture. It includes crude folk art as well as pieces created by Europe's finest craftsmen, prints and periodical illustrations, posters, paintings, decorative art, and toys and everyday household items decorated with depictions of stereotypical Jewish figures.

    Physical Details

    Language
    English
    Classification
    Art
    Category
    Prints
    Genre/Form
    Etchings.
    Physical Description
    Hand-colored print of an etching depicting a king standing on a raised dais in front of a throne on the left beneath a canopy with a carved pig on the top. He is a diminutive, bearded man with a pointed nose and fleshy lips, and wears a crown, a medallion, and purple robe. He is standing in right profile, his right hand holding a scepter and his left extended as he addresses 8 men. All of the men have long, shaggy brown hair, pointed beards, fleshy lips, and large pointed and hooked noses. Three of the men wear formal attire, and the rest are dressed in long, neutral-colored robes. They are seated on benches at a long table and eating meat cut from what appears to be a ham hock on a large platter. Along the front, on the left end, a man in left profile is talking to the king. To the right, 2 men in colorful tailcoats converse as a fourth man watches. Along the back, on the left, a man faces forward and speaks, while 3 men to his right look toward him. On the bottom right, there are 2 hats with a cane, a paper bundle marked bonds, and sack with a tag labeled old clothes. The title and publication information are printed along the bottom. There is a large green stain and stray, handwritten markings on the back.
    Dimensions
    overall: Height: 10.125 inches (25.718 cm) | Width: 15.625 inches (39.688 cm)
    Materials
    overall : paper, ink, pencil
    Inscription
    front, bottom right, handwritten, pencil : Rg2i
    back, bottom right, handwritten, pencil : (0496) / 244 x 345 / 10759

    Rights & Restrictions

    Conditions on Access
    No restrictions on access
    Conditions on Use
    No restrictions on use

    Keywords & Subjects

    Administrative Notes

    Provenance
    The etching was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 by the Katz Family.
    Funding Note
    The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
    Special Collection
    Katz Ehrenthal Collection
    Record last modified:
    2022-07-28 18:30:19
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn538290

    Download & Licensing

    In-Person Research

    Contact Us