Tribulations de la Garde Nationale
Paris: Chez Aubert, 1835. Item #05530
The Comic Misfortunes of the Bourgeois Citizen-Soldier
Frédéric Bouchot's Brilliant Satire on the French National Guard
BOUCHOT, Frédéric. Tribulations de la Garde Nationale. Paris: Chez Aubert, [1835].
First Edition. Folio (14 1/8 x 11 inches; 359 x 280 mm.).
Twenty-five (of twenty-seven) beautifully hand-colored lithographs, all heightened with gum arabic and mounted on stubs. Plates 2 and 6 wanting. Plates 1, 14, 24, and 27 trimmed approximately one inch shorter in the lower blank margin; plate 18 with slight marginal toning. Otherwise a remarkably fresh and attractive copy.
Mid twentieth century light green cloth over boards, red morocco label on spine lettered in gilt, plain endpapers.
An exceptionally lively and beautifully colored suite devoted entirely to the comic hardships of service in the French National Guard, one of the defining institutions of bourgeois France under the July Monarchy.
Rather than portraying military heroism, Bouchot delights in exposing the countless inconveniences suffered by the respectable citizen compelled to exchange the comforts of home and business for the endless routines of guard duty. Sleepless nights, domestic quarrels, disciplinary hearings, endless patrols, forgotten passwords, inspections, rainstorms, uncomfortable uniforms, overbearing officers, and perpetual summonses become the subjects of an extended comic narrative in which military service is treated as little more than an interruption to ordinary middle-class life.
As in Bouchot's finest work, the humor depends less upon grotesque caricature than upon theatrical staging and careful observation of everyday behaviour. Officers, shopkeepers, wives, servants, innkeepers, and fellow guardsmen are depicted with expressive gestures and remarkably natural physiognomies, while the domestic interiors - bedrooms, kitchens, guardrooms, cafés, and private apartments—provide an extraordinarily vivid record of bourgeois Paris during the 1830s.
Founded during the French Revolution but transformed under the July Monarchy into a predominantly middle-class militia, the National Guard became one of the great comic subjects of nineteenth-century French art. Its members were neither professional soldiers nor enthusiastic volunteers, but respectable tradesmen, clerks, lawyers, and merchants obliged to interrupt their daily affairs in order to perform periodic military duties. Bouchot captures this peculiarly French institution with affection rather than malice, producing one of the most sustained and entertaining visual commentaries on bourgeois life published by Aubert during the golden age of Romantic lithography.
Frédéric Bouchot (1798–after 1850) was one of the leading caricaturists of the July Monarchy, contributing regularly to Le Charivari, La Caricature, and the Journal pour rire. Although today overshadowed by Daumier and Gavarni, he ranks among the keenest observers of everyday Parisian life, combining elegant draftsmanship with theatrical narrative and an unfailing sense of comic timing.
Exceptionally rare. We have encountered the work only once previously, in a private American collection in 2002. OCLC and KVK record only one complete institutional copy, at Brown University, together with an incomplete copy at the Kunstbibliothek, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.
Not in Bobins, Colas, Lipperheide or Hiler.
The Plates:
1. Le lendemain d’une garde. (No. 1)
The day after a shift.
2. L’Arrestation. C’est un billet de logement pour l’Hôtel aux-z-haricots. (No. 3)
The Arrest. This is a lodging ticket for the Bean Hotel.
3. L’Hôtel au-z-haricots. Le diable emporte la garde nationale. (No. 4)
The Bean Hotel. The devil take away the national guard.
4. Le Couseil de Discipline. Mais Monsieur je n’ai pas des rentes, moi, et quand je monte la garde mes affaires ne se font pas. (No. 5)
The Disciplinary Board. But sir, I don't have any income, and when I stand guard my business isn't done.
5. Dieu de Dieu! ma femme et le jeune homme d’en face! (No. 7)
God of God! my wife and the young man opposite!
6. Diable! Diable! ça coûte cher d’être officier. (No. 8)
Devil! Devil! it's expensive to be an officer.
7. L’Aubade. (No. 9)
The Aubade.
8. Le diable emporte le jour de l’an. (No. 10)
The Devil Takes New Year's Day.
9. Parlez-moi d’un bonnet á poil. (No. 11)
Tell me about a furry hat.
10. Allons, allons! la patrouille, réveillons nous. (No. 12)
Calm down! the patrol, let's wake up.
11. C’est bien long, une faction, quand on n’a pas dormi. (No. 13)
It's a long time, a shift, when you haven't slept.
12. L’Officier dégommé! Nom de chien! de capitaine redevenir soldat. (No. 14)
The screwed-up Officer! Dog name! from captain to soldier again.
13. Une revue pendant l’orage. (No. 15)
A review during the storm.
14. Encore un billet!! Décidément le sergent-major m’en veut! que diable! je suis de garde tout les jours. (No. 16)
One more ticket!! Definitely the sergeant major is angry with me! What the hell! I am on call every day.
15. La garde moutante, Composée du Capitaine et du Tambour. (Compagnie des lambins). (No. 17)
The moving guard, Consisting of the Captain and the Drummer. (Company of lambins).
16. Un petit moment, un petit moment, grenadier, voici encore un écrou pour 8 autres jours. (No. 18)
A little while, a little while, grenadier, here's another nut for another 8 days.
17. Prenez garde, prenez garde, Major! (No. 19)
Beware, beware, Major!
18. Sapré coquin de fusil! Comme y recule. Qu’est-ce-que ma femme va dire... (No. 20)
Damn rascal of rifle! As it backs away. What will my wife say...
19. Pauvre Sergent Major! Les réclamations pleuvent, tout le monde s’excuse, personne ne veut monter la garde, il ne sait auquel entendre. (No. 21)
Poor Sergeant Major! Complaints are raining down, everyone apologizes, no one wants to stand guard, they don't know who to hear.
20. Le factionnaire des jardins royaux, ou la chasse aux chiens. (No. 22)
The sentry of the royal gardens, or the hound hunt.
21. O mondieu! O mondieu! ma faction... Je n’arriverai jamais à temps. (No. 23)
Oh my God! Oh my God! my faction... I will never arrive in time.
22. Allons, Monsieur, le tambour bat le rappel... Vous n’aurez pas beau temps, il pleut des z’halebardes. (No. 24)
Come on, sir, the drum is beating the encore... You won't have good weather, it's raining hard.
23. Le mot d’ordre. Que diable ést-ce donc? chapeau, Amsterdam, ficelle?... non, ce n’est pas ça. Que diable! est-ce donc. (No. 25)
Watchword. What the hell is this? hat, Amsterdam, string?... no, that's not it. What the hell! is it so.
24. Le Recensement. Allez vous en au Diable! avec votre Recensement! (No. 26)
The census. Go to the Devil! with your Census!
25. Ma femme, j’ai attrapé celle nuit un fameux coup de soleil! (No. 27)
My wife, I got a famous sunburn last night!
Price: $4,500.00