Judge — February 5, 1887 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This political cartoon satirizes Vatican influence through a biblical reference. The caption quotes Genesis 27:22 ("The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau"), suggesting that while the Pope appears to hold authority, someone else—likely representing a political or ecclesiastical power—actually controls him from behind the scenes. The figure in elaborate papal robes (center) is being manipulated by a hand-puppeteer figure (left), while another official observes (right). The cartoon critiques hidden manipulation of the Church's leadership, a common 19th-century Protestant and anticlerical concern about Vatican politics and alleged foreign influence over papal decisions. The specific historical context—which power or nation is meant—remains unclear without additional documentation.