A University of Sussex DPhil thesis Available online via Sussex Research Online: http://eprints.sussex.ac.uk/ This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Please visit Sussex Research Online for more information and further details ‘Un Bon Dessin Vaut Mieux Qu’un Long Discours’ The Role and Impact of Cartoons in Contemporary France Micheline MAUPOINT Submitted to the University of Sussex for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy January 2010 Dedication I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my deceased mother who was always a great supporter of my achievements. Acknowledgements I am extremely grateful to my daughter Murielle whose expertise in Neuro Linguistic Programming gave me the motivation and belief to complete this thesis. I would not have done it without her help. I would also like to thank my husband for his patience and support as well all my other family members and friends. I am very grateful to my supervisors and academic friends, Dr. Sue Collard, Janice Winship, and Dr. Therie Hendrey-Seabrook for their constant encouragement; to my friend Dr. Jean-Marie Bertin, specialist and collector of cartoons for his help with data collecting. A special thank you goes to Norman Gregory and Helen Emms for their holistic support. A number of friends and acquaintances from the Press and the cartooning world, in France and in England must be acknowledged for their assistance during the years of my research. To name a few, caricaturists, journalists, cartoonists: Alex Noel Watson, Jean Louis Savignac, and of course, Plantu. In writing this acknowledgment, a special thought goes to the late Solo, Director of the journal Caricature and Caricaturistes and to André Baur, Director of the magazine Mieux Vaut en Rire, his passion for cartoons was communicative. I hereby declare that this thesis has not been and will not be, submitted in whole or in part to another University for the award of any degree. The University of Sussex Micheline Maupoint Thesis submitted for Doctor of Philosophy ‘Un Bon Dessin Vaut Mieux Qu’un Long Discours’ The Role and Impact of Cartoons in Contemporary France Summary Cartoons have traditionally occupied an important place in French visual culture, and are now a permanent feature in even the most prestigious publications, including Le Monde, where they appear on the front page. Moreover, there is a long tradition of political cartooning which is firmly situated within the historical context of caricature and lampooning, which over the years has contributed to public debates on key issues such as politics, religion and social change. In this thesis, I focus on political cartoons and argue that the political cartoon is still significant as a cultural product and as a powerful journalistic medium at a time when the existence of the print media is threatened by new technological developments. In order to understand how cartoons remain a powerful mode of expression in the twenty-first century, I begin by examining the historical development of cartooning, tracing its origins in grotesque art, physiognomy and caricature. I then explore a number of events in early modern European history such as the Reformation and the French Revolution to show that the medium was used as a means of mass communication, to inform a largely illiterate public, incite protest and instigate rebellion through propaganda. I show how political graphics were used as effective political weapons against the ruling authorities, in the face of tight regulation such as censorship, and underline the French artists’ commitment to defend their right of expression. As I demonstrate, this commitment continues to be pursued by contemporary French cartoonists such as Plantu who is dedicated to fighting for freedom of expression and promoting peace issues, under the banner of Le Monde and the United Nations. In analysing a corpus of Plantu’s editorial creations, I underline theoretical perspectives for ‘reading’ cartoons and illuminate the visual rhetoric used by cartoonists to communicate serious issues. I conclude with an assessment of the significant role that French cartoonists played during the 2006 Cartoons War to further highlight the impact of cartoons as a vehicle for political communication, and as a catalyst for debate in the twenty first century. Table of Contents List of Figures Introduction 1 Chapter 1 From Early Caricature to Modern Day Cartoons 16 Introduction The Grotesque and Caricature Physiognomy and Caricature From Caricature to Modern Cartoons Graphic Satire, New Technologies and the Newspaper Summary Chapter 2 Graphic Satire as a Political Weapon 45 Introduction Early Graphic Protest and Criticism in Europe The Reformation Henri III: Satire and Derision Louis XIV: Satire and Propaganda Caricatures and the French Revolution The Mechanics of French Censorship The Caricaturist’s Struggle for Freedom of Expression Summary Chapter 3 From Caricature to Political Cartoon 93 Introduction Fin de Siècle and the Dreyfus Affair L’Entre-Deux Guerres Editorial Cartoons and Faizant Plantu’s Work Summary Chapter 4 The Editorial Cartoon: An Act of Communication 122 Introduction The Political Cartoon: An Act of Communication Graphic Techniques: Codes and Rhetoric Plantu’s Cultural Borrowings Plantu’s Representation of Mitterrand’s Presidency Political Scandals Summary Chapter 5 The Cartoons War Controversy 166 Introduction The Twelve Cartoons Outcomes of the Controversy French Participation in the Cartoons War Summary Conclusion 194 The Role and Impact of Cartoons Cartoons as a Powerful Form of Expression The Future of the Editorial Cartoon Recommendations for Future Research Annexes 1. List of Interviews 206 2. Chronology of Cartoons War Events in France 207 3. Manifesto: Together Against the New Totalitarianism 208 Bibliography 211 List of Figures Chapter 1 1.1 The Fox Turned Piper 20 1.2 The Farmyard in Burlesque 21 1.3 A Terrible Combat 22 1.4 The Demon Tilter 24 1.5 Grotesque Heads 25 1.6 Water & Winter 30 1.7 Le Violoniste (Gobbi) & Les Gueux (Beggars) 31 1.8 Evolution from Frog to Apollo 33 1.9 Lavater’s Personality Types 34 1.10 Bust and Caricatured Portrait of Cardinal Borghese 35 1.11 Header of Le Charivari 43 Chapter 2 2.1 Letter Q of The Grotesque Alphabet 48 2.2 The Pope and the Devil 52 2.3 Passional Christi und Antichristi 53 2.4 The Descent of the Pope 54 2.5 The Devil with Bagpipes 55 2.6 Peasant Monument 57 2.7 Le Viol de La Vierge Religieuse 60 2.8 The Assassination of the Duke of De Guise 61 2.9 The Assassination of Henri III of France 62 2.10 Allegory Against Louis XIV 67 2.11 Le Roy de France 68 2.12 Louis XIV/Lion 69 2.13 La Poule d’Autriche 74 2.14 Le Boudoir 75 2.15 The Flight of the Royal Family 76 2.16 The Pig-Louis XVI 76 2.17 Royalist Cartoon of the French Revolution 78 2.18 La Poire Louis Philippe 84 2.19 Les Poires 85 2.20 Louis Philippe-Gargantua 86 2.21 Robert Macaire 88 2.22 Le Melon 89 2.23 Madame Anastasie 89 Chapter 3 3.1 The Last Judgement 97 3.2 ‘Ils Ont Parlé’ 98 3.3 L’Assiette au Beurre 100 3.4 Le Boche 101 3.5 Les Vieilles Dames et les Loisirs 106 3.6 Marianne 108 3.7 De Gaulle and Marianne 108 3.8 Cartoon by Plantu 111 3.9 The Front Page of Le Monde 112 3.10 The Gulf War 114 3.11 Terrorist Attacks 115 3.12 The Two Flags 115 3.13 Palestine by Arafat 116 3.14 Israel by Peres 116 3.15 Cartoon signed by Yasser Arafat in 1991 116 3.16 A similar drawing signed by Peres in 1992 116 3.17 The Two Flags 116 3.18 The Hearts of Friendship 116 3.19 Middle East Peace 117 3.20 Commemorative Stamp 118 Chapter 4 4.1 The Communication Chain 127 4.2 Graphic Representations of Politicians 132 4.3 The Use of Accessories 133 4.4 Stereotypes Commonly Used 134 4.5 Mitterrand’s Nose 136 4.6 Irony 136 4.7 The Two Mitterrands Contemplate a Dispute between Members of 138 the Right Coalition 4.8 Attachés D’Ambassade 139 4.9 Mitterrand and Chirac As Dupont and Dupond 140 4.10 Caricature of François Mitterrand 141 4.11 Plantu’s Mitterrand (1973) 144 4.12 Plantu’s Mitterrand (1981 & 1986) 145 4.13 President Mitterrand 146 4.14 Abolition of the Death Penalty 147 4.15 The Auroux Law 148 4.16 La Politique de Rigueur 149 4.17 ‘Hold on! I support you!’ 151 4.18 Les Masques 152 4.19 Tokyo G7 Summit 154 4.20 The Tokyo Summit 154 4.21 The 1988 Elections 156 4.22 Using Hyperbole 156 4.23 Tricot’s Report on the Rainbow Warrior Affair 158 4.24 The Rainbow Warrior Affair 159 4.25 The Telephone Tapping Scandal 161 4.26 Armistice Day 162 4.27 Le Monde’s Fiftieth Birthday 163 4.28 Tribute to Mitterrand 164 Chapter 5 5.1 The 12 Cartoons 168 5.2 Cartoon by Arne Sørensen 170 5.3 Cartoon by Lars Refn 171 5.4 Cartoon by Bob Katzennelson 171 5.5 Cartoon by Peder Bundgaard 172 5.6 Cartoon by Claus Seidel 172 5.7 Cartoon by Annette Carlsen 173 5.8 Cartoon by Kurt Westergaard 173 5.9 Cartoon by Rasmus Sand Hoyer 174 5.10 Cartoon by Erik Abild Sorensen 174 5.11 Cartoon by Poul Erik Poulsen 175 5.12 Cartoon by Jens Julius 175 5.13 Cartoon by Franz Fuchsel 176 5.14 ‘Why Muslims Pray’ 178 5.15 ‘The Prophet as a Paedophile’ 178 5.16 ‘The True Image of Muhammad’ 178 5.17 Cartoon by Delize 183 5.18 Cartoon by Plantu 185 5.19 Cover of Charlie Hebdo 186 1 Introduction The Role & Impact of Cartoons in Contemporary France ‘Un bon dessin vaut mieux qu’un long discours’ Introduction Cartoons are one of the oldest forms of graphic representation.