Very Haughty and Very Mighty Legitimist Brats
Original title: Very Haughty and Very Mighty Legitimist Brats
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike related caricatures from those years that mock individual politicians, this 1834 lithograph by Honoré Daumier puts four figures in royal robes and crowns into the picture at once. The print, a lithograph on chine collé, takes aim at the legitimist faction that longed for the return of the Bourbons and pokes fun at their claim to power.
Description
Four characters display royal garments and crowns. Two of them sit on a horse and a carriage, another figure sits, and one stands. The traditional ruler costumes are adorned with crowns and wreaths. A plain background makes the group stand out. The layout feels clearly structured: horse and carriage with their riders occupy the middle, while the other figures are placed to the left and right of them.
Context
This lithograph was created in February 1834, when France's July Monarchy was experiencing political tensions. The legitimists, supporters of the Bourbons deposed after the July Revolution of 1830, appear here as childish brats. Daumier, known for his satirical caricatures against political opponents, published the sheet in the satirical journal 'La Caricature', for which he worked regularly.
Impact
By presenting the legitimists as childish, crowned figures, the print achieves a comic and at the same time critical effect. Royal symbolism and infantile gestures enter into a contrast that undermines the authority of those depicted. The clear linework and the pointed arrangement make the sheet immediately understandable.
Technique
For this lithograph, Daumier drew with fatty crayon on the stone and then printed it. The sheet is mounted on chine collé, that is, on a fine paper that was pasted onto a support paper. The monochrome execution with fine details corresponds to Daumier's printmaking method.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)