Tiddy-Doll, the Great French-Gingerbread-Baker; Drawing Out a New Batch of Kings, His Man Hopping Talley, Mixing Up the Dough 1806

This hand-colored etching, made around 1806 by the British artist James Gillray, presents Napoleon as a baker of kings. But the image isn't made with cake frosting; it’s crafted from lines etched into a metal plate, a process demanding precision and expertise. Gillray uses printmaking to satirize Napoleon’s political ambitions, presenting him as a mass producer of puppet monarchs. The "New French Oven," filled with imperial gingerbread, symbolizes the industrial scale of Napoleon's conquests. He’s not creating individual works of art, but rather churning out identical rulers, as if on a production line. Consider the labor implied: the careful drawing, the biting of the acid, and the hand-coloring, all to create a scathing commentary on power and corruption. Gillray elevates printmaking, typically seen as a commercial craft, into a powerful tool of political critique. He uses its reproducible nature to amplify his message, questioning the very nature of leadership and the ease with which it can be manufactured. This print reminds us that even seemingly mass-produced images involve skilled labor and critical intent, blurring the lines between craft, art, and political commentary.