The Russian Wolf and the Hebrew Lamb

Contemporary British perceptions of Russian persecution of Jews in the late 19th century.

This skillfully composed woodcut was based on a sketch by Linley Sambourne and originally published in the December 20, 1890, issue of Punch, or the London Charivari. This particular example was issued the following year in a commemorative annual volume.

The image offers an updated politicized take on William Mulready’s painting, The Wolf and the Lamb. The two little boys have been replaced by a bearded Russian with clenched fists, looming over an elderly Jewish man. In the background, Dame Europa looks on with concern, but also impotence.

Antisemitism in the Russian Empire was endemic during the 19th century, with several waves of violent pogroms taking place throughout the century.

Source: Victorian Web