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The Demon Butcher, or the Real Rinderpest, 1865. Artist: John Tenniel
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The Demon Butcher, or the Real Rinderpest, 1865. Artist: John Tenniel
The Demon Butcher, or the Real Rinderpest, 1865. The demon butcher, with his hair styled into the shape of horns, stands in front of the animal carcasses declaring the price of beef. His customer is so startled she drops her basket and key. Next to the butcher is a pile of money. Earlier in the year, there had been an outbreak of Cattle Plague, or Rinderpest. It had started in the dairies of Lambeth and Islington and had spread rapidly despite all measures for containment. By the middle of October, some 14, 000 head of cattle had had to be slaughtered. This increased to more than 21, 000 by mid November, and again to 50, 000 by the end of the year. This cartoon depicts the widespread belief that the epidemic had been made as an excuse for needlessly raising the cost of beef. From Punch, or the London Charivari, November 18, 1865
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Media ID 14830760
© The Print Collector / Heritage-Images
Apron Basket Beef Butcher Butchers Carcass Customer Demon Disease Heritage Image Partnership John Tenniel Meat Money Sir John Tenniel Startled Tenniel Murrain Rinderpest
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The Demon Butcher, or the Real Rinderpest, 1865
EDITORS COMMENTS
is a captivating and satirical print created by John Tenniel. In this thought-provoking image, we witness a scene from the 19th century where the demon butcher stands proudly amidst animal carcasses with his hair styled into horns. He boldly declares the exorbitant price of beef to his startled customer, causing her to drop her basket and key in astonishment. This cartoon holds deeper meaning as it reflects the prevailing belief at that time - that the outbreak of Cattle Plague or Rinderpest was merely an excuse for unscrupulous butchers to unjustifiably raise prices. The epidemic had originated in Lambeth and Islington's dairies before rapidly spreading despite containment efforts. By year-end, over 50,000 cattle had been slaughtered due to this devastating disease. Tenniel's artwork skillfully captures society's skepticism towards these events through clever symbolism. Next to the demon butcher lies a pile of money, hinting at profiteering motives behind inflated beef prices. The monochrome engraving adds depth and intensity to this powerful satire. Beyond its artistic value, "The Demon Butcher" serves as a historical record highlighting public sentiment during that era while shedding light on issues surrounding commerce and health concerns associated with meat consumption. This heritage image partnership between Heritage Images and Murrain Print Collector1 allows us to appreciate Sir John Tenniel's remarkable talent in capturing societal commentary through artistry centuries ago.
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