An exhausted mother gives birth before a crowd of French officials; symbolising the birth of the ideas of the July Revolution and their troubled patrimony in the hands of contemporary politicians. Lithograph by E. Forest after J. Grandville, 1831, after Eugène Devéria, 1827.

The print ironically depicts the fruits of the labour pains of 'la mère patrie' in the July Revolution; she holds the dates of the insurrection in her left hand. The baby represents the 'juste milieu' (golden mean), a new beginning after the "troubled childhood of Liberty" in the revolutionary years. It was at first a political system, extolled by Dupin, Thiers and Casimir-Perier, that aimed to create a 'balance' between libertarian and monarchical ideas. Soon, however, with the nepotism and corruption of Louis Philippe, Guizot and other politicians shown here, the term began to acquire an ironic sense for many people. Hence the baby is referred to here as 'this monstrous abortion'. The 'godfather', dressed in revolutionary gear, holds the baby; Casimir-Perier touches the mother; Guizot holds the forceps; on the far right, Dupin rubs his hands in pleasure; Baron Athalin holds some letters; Shonen is on his knees ("as usual"); bottom, a dwarfish Thiers makes fun of a cockerel