“The Northern Bear, the most disagreeable of all the known bears.”

Honoré Daumier.  Actualités, no. 36; Chargeons les Russes (Let’s Make Caricatures of the Russians), no. 10.  Le Charivari.  April 17–18, 1854.  LD 2493.

The bellicose Russian Bear as an autocrat with all of its subjects kneeling at its feet.
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John Tenniel.  Cartoon. 
Punch.  April 9, 1853. (L)

John Tenniel.  Initial. 
Punch.  June 4, 1853. (R)

The Russian Bear in both images is shown threatening Turkey during the dispute over the guardianship of the Holy Places.  Note the British Lion lounging in the background of the Initial, “T.”
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John Tenniel.  Cartoon.  Punch.  July 16, 1853.

This print plays on an old folktale where a bear threatens to use his great strength against a hive of bees if they do not give him free honey.  The bees refuse, and when the bear sticks his tongue in the hive to take the honey by force, the bees attack him, and their combined stings make the bear run away.  Here, the Turks play the role of the bees—with their mosques resembling beehives—in beating back the advances of the Russian army on Turkish territory.
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“David and Goliath.”

Honoré Daumier.  Actualités, no. 77.  Le Charivari.  July 5, 1854.  LD 2521.

Czar Nicholas I (Goliath) takes on the Turkish Empire (David).
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John Tenniel.  Cartoon.  Punch.  August 5, 1854.

The Allied Army of France and Great Britain (the Giant) urges Turkey (The Dwarf) to continue fighting, given its success against the Russian Army in the Danubian Principalities.


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