The Representation of Francisco Solano López in the Brazilian Satirical Press during the War against Paraguay (1864-1870)

Abstract

The satirical press was a cultural artefact of great popularity in the 19th century that was characterised by the regular inclusion of critical and festive caricatures in its ages. In Rio de Janeiro, in particular, it was an important medium that put into circulation a multiplicity of images and visual constructions about the War against Paraguay at the time it was in progress (1864-1870). Considering this genre of periodicals, the main objective of this article is to analyse the way in which the figure of Paraguayan President Francisco Solano López was visually configured during the war. We start from the hypothesis that, discursively, the war was not being waged against the Paraguayan people, but against their ruler. As a result, his figure became the favourite target of attack in the caricatures of the Brazilian press at the time and the inspiration for a multiplicity of significant and specific representations of the cultural imaginary of the time.