The Wasp — 1879 — page 671: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page from *The Illustrated Wasp* features a formal portrait engraving of Alexander II of Russia, labeled "THE CZAR OF RUSSIA." The accompanying text discusses his 1855 coronation and 25th anniversary reign, describing his liberal reforms and notions of freedom, while noting these principles have "unfortunately planted a seed to his own detriment." The text reveals the satirical point: Alexander II's attempts at progressive change—freeing Russia from "slavery"—have paradoxically created dangerous opposition. The Nihilists mentioned represent the revolutionary movement his reforms inadvertently encouraged. The satire critiques the irony that liberal measures can breed radicalism, portraying the Czar as caught between maintaining autocracy and confronting the destabilizing consequences of his own liberalization efforts.