''Dropping the Pilot'' is a political cartoon by

Sir John Tenniel Sir John Tenniel (; 28 February 182025 February 1914)Johnson, Lewis (2003), "Tenniel, John", ''Grove Art Online, Oxford Art Online'', Oxford University Press. Web. Retrieved 12 December 2016. was an English illustrator, graphic humorist and poli ...

, first published in the British magazine ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

'' on 29 March 1890. It depicts Chancellor Otto von Bismarck as a

maritime pilot A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot, is a mariner who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbors or river mouths. Maritime pilots are regarded as skilled profession ...

who is stepping off a ship, perhaps a reference to Plato's

ship of state The Ship of State is an ancient and oft-cited metaphor, famously expounded by Plato in the '' Republic'' (Book 6, 488a–489d), which likens the governance of a city-state to the command of a vessel. Plato expands the established metaphor and u ...

, idly and unconcernedly watched by a young

Wilhelm II, German Emperor Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Emp ...

. Bismarck had resigned as Chancellor at Wilhelm's demand just ten days earlier on 19 March because of political differences. After the cartoon's publication, Tenniel received a commission from the

5th Earl of Rosebery Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 1st Earl of Midlothian, (7 May 1847 – 21 May 1929) was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from March 1894 to June 1895. Between the death of ...

to create a copy to be sent to Bismarck himself. The former chancellor reportedly replied, "It is indeed a fine one". The cartoon is well known in Germany and often used in history textbooks and school books, under the title ''The

Pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

Leaves the Ship'' (german: Der Lotse geht von Bord). "Here, we see a weary Bismarck descending the ladder of the 'ship' Germany, which he had steered for almost 20 years as chancellor. A young Wilhelm II looks on from the deck".

Adaptations

Prophecy? (Dropping the Pilot) Will Dyson 1914.jpg, ''Prophecy? (Dropping the Pilot)'' by Will Dyson, 1914 The haunted ship John Bernard Partridge 1915.jpg, ''The Haunted Ship'' by Bernard Partridge, 1915 Dropping the pirate William H Walker 1918.jpg, ''Dropping the Pirate'' by William H. Walker, 1918 * ''Dropping the pilot'', referring to Kaiser Wilhelm's removal from the list of

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

admirals in 1914, by David Low * ''Dropping the pilot'', referring to

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

, by Daniel Bishop * Cartoon ''Dropping the Pilots'' showing Khrushchev looking down as the four "Pilots" leave the ship of state. * Cartoon showing the pilot

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

being "Dropped" from the "Grand Old Party" By Captain Barry Goldwater * Cartoon showing

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

being "Dropped as the Pilot" * Steve Bell of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' has adapted the cartoon: ** ''Vice-president faces isolation after key ally leaves Pentagon'' ** ''Iraqis celebrate the withdrawal of American combat troops'' ** ''David Cameron's response to Coulson's guilt'' **''Dropping the pornbot'' (Resignation of

Damian Green Damian Howard Green (born 17 January 1956) is a British politician who served as First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office from June to December 2017 in the Second May government. A member of the Conservative Party, he has b ...

) *

Martin Rowson Martin Rowson ( ; born 15 February 1959) is a British editorial cartoonist and writer. His genre is political satire and his style is scathing and graphic. He characterises his work as "visual journalism". His cartoons appear frequently in ''The ...

of ''The Guardian'' has also adapted the cartoon repeatedly: ** ''Steve Hilton's Exit'' ** ''Undropping the Pilot'' ** ''The resignation of Michael Flynn'' **''Dropping The Pilate'' on the resignation of Liz Truss after only 45 days in office

References

External links

{{Commons category-inline 1890 works Cultural depictions of Otto von Bismarck Cultural depictions of Wilhelm II Editorial cartoons Works originally published in Punch (magazine) Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery