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This is a rare and vividly hand-colored political satire print published in Paris during the American Revolutionary War (about 1779–81), featuring an image of George Washington.

In one dramatic scene the artist turns Britain’s defeat into allegory: an energetic George Washington—his helmet labeled “Congres”—brandishes a whip while leading the three chained kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland away, all beneath the blazing, fleur-de-lis sun of France.

Every detail carries a lesson. Washington’s miter-shaped hat, inscribed “Congres,” fuses religious and civic authority to declare the righteousness of republican rule. The captive trio embodies Britain itself: Scotland in a blue coat and tam-style cap, Ireland in a bonnet topped with a green plume, and England—visibly humbled—completing the threesome. At the left a storm-lashed sea batters British warships; their shredded Union flags signal a fading naval empire. Overhead, the “Sun of France,” its disk painted blue and adorned with three fleurs-de-lis, floods the scene with golden rays, while red lightning bolts trace a path from the French sun down to the shackled Britons, stressing France’s decisive role in their downfall. A numbered key and mocking quatrain printed below the image explain the figures and jeer at “British nation” for trying to enslave others.

After France entered the war in 1778, Paris print sellers flooded the streets with inexpensive political cartoons celebrating Washington and ridiculing Britain. This print belongs to that wave of popular propaganda, praising the Franco-American alliance by casting France as liberator and Britain as tyrant. Chains—normally shown binding colonial subjects—now restrain the home kingdoms, flipping Britain’s own imperial symbolism. French sunlight, meanwhile, replaces Britannia’s usual claim to maritime supremacy.

Although unsigned, the plate fits within the satirical Nouvelle Iconologie series. Few impressions survive—many were pasted into scrapbooks or simply worn out—so the print is now a desirable artifact for collections focused on eighteenth-century political caricature, the French-American alliance, or Revolutionary visual culture. In miniature, it captures the moment when France’s “solar” partnership with the young United States eclipsed Britain’s aura of invincibility.

Rarity

The print is extremely rare.

We found no auction or dealer records since the Henkel Sale in 1900, although an example may have been offered by Bonhams in 2018, possibly this example.

We locate examples in the Library of Congress and American Antiquarian Society.