The Rhodes Colossus
The Rhodes Colossus | |
---|---|
Artist | Edward Linley Sambourne, Punch |
Year | 1892 |
Subject | Cecil Rhodes |
The Rhodes Colossus is an
The image depicts British business magnate Cecil Rhodes as a giant standing over the continent holding a telegraphic line, a reference to his desire to build a "Cape to Cairo" rail and telegraph line and connect most of the British colonies in Africa.[1] It is a visual pun based on the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
History
The Rhodes Colossus was drawn by English cartoonist Edward Linley Sambourne, and first appeared in Punch magazine in 1892. It was widely reprinted,[2] and has since become a standard illustration in history texts.[3]
The cartoon was published in the 10 December 1892 edition of Punch, accompanied by a recent excerpt from The cartoon and excerpt were followed by a piece of satirical verse by Edwin J. Milliken, on the character and ambitions of Rhodes.[3] Satirical verses and stories often accompanied cartoons in Punch magazine.[5] In the verse, Rhodes is described as a "Director and Statesman in one" and a "Seven-League-Booted Colossus" that stands "O'er Africa striding from dark end to end, to forward black emancipation." He is also described as a "shrewd trader" and a "diplomat full of finesse and sharp schemes with a touch of the pious Crusader".[5]
The Rhodes as Colossus pun used in this artwork was a well-known joke that originated in South Africa and that Punch had used before, as well as many others.[3]
Iconography
Sambourne illustrated this visual pun to depict Cecil Rhodes as the ancient Greek statue the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, following the traditional (and architecturally unlikely) depiction of the Colossus with wide-set legs across Rhodes harbour (above).
Rhodes measures with the telegraphic line the distance from Cape Town (at his right foot) in South Africa to Cairo (at his left foot) in Egypt, illustrating his broader "Cape to Cairo" concept for further colonial expansion in Africa. In his right hand Rhodes holds a pith helmet with a rifle slung around his right shoulder.
Rhodes stands in a powerful, open armed stance. This has been seen by scholars an indication of his power and influence during the European colonisation of Africa. His giant size indicates his larger than life aspirations and desire for further influence in the continent.
Influence
The cartoon quickly became widely referenced in historical texts as an illustrated representation of the Scramble for Africa, and the New Imperialism era as a whole. The original context of a proposed telegraph line is rarely mentioned in such reproductions, which take the "Cape to Cairo" concept more generally.[3]
In
In 2013, political cartoonist Martin Rowson referenced Sambourne's cartoon in an satirical illustration published on 1 February in The Guardian on British Prime Minister David Cameron's policies regarding Algeria and the French intervention in Mali.[10]
Legacy
The cartoon has become one of the most frequently used images to represent the era of New Imperialism and the European colonisation of Africa. Rhodes' legacy in modern-day South Africa has been described by scholar Patrick Bond as "one of the world's most lucrative, and destructive",[11] referencing the numerous fraudulent and misleading treaties he signed with various African peoples which ceded portions of their territory to him.[12]
See also
References
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ^ Empires, Exceptions, and Anglo-Saxons: Race and Rule between the British and United States Empires, 1880–1910
- ^ a b c d Richard Scully, ‘Constructing the Colossus: the Origins of Linley Sambourne’s Greatest Punch Cartoon’, International Journal of Comic Art, Volume 14, No.2, Fall 2012, pp.120–142.
- ^ "Mr. Rhodes and British South Africa". The Times. 30 November 1892. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ a b Punch, Volume 103, 10 December 1892
- ISBN 9780618001903.
- ^ "The Rhodes Colossus – 118 Years Later". Zapiro. 5 April 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
- ^ "Dalai Lama denied visa for South Africa peace conference". CNN. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
- ^ "Tibetans blame China for Dalai Lama visa denial". Mail & Guardian. South Africa. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
- ^ "Cameron's African adventure". The Guardian. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
- S2CID 210075733– via JSTOR.
- ISBN 978-0-321-42409-9.
Further reading
- Punch, 10 December 1892, from Project Gutenberg
- Sven Lindqvist, Joan Tate, and Sarah Death. The Dead Do Not Die. New York: The New Press, 2014. ISBN 9781595589897.