We Ride Toward St. Omer

This Dutch engraving mocks the flight of Patriot revolutionaries into French exile at Saint-Omer following their failed uprising. Three figures wearing jester's caps—the traditional mark of folly—ride toward safety on goats, their expressions gleeful yet absurd. The engraver renders them in exaggerated caricature: bulbous noses, grotesque features, and theatrical dress emphasize their ridiculousness. This print belongs to the European tradition of political satire inherited from Hogarth and perfected by artists like Gillray and Rowlandson, where visual distortion and animal substitution conveyed contempt for political enemies. The goats themselves—stubborn, lowly creatures—reinforced the satirist's message: these revolutionaries were foolish outsiders fleeing justified defeat. Such prints circulated widely, shaping public opinion through crude but memorable imagery that anticipated the caricature tradition foundational to comic art.