Mr. Hume se passant la fantaisie..., from Actualités, published in Le Charivari, April 17, 1857
Original title: Mr. Hume se passant la fantaisie..., from Actualités, published in Le Charivari, April 17, 1857
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier made this lithograph on 17 April 1857 for the magazine Le Charivari. Titled Mr. Hume erlaubt sich die Fantasie ..., it is a caricature in which Mr. Hume imagines Jules-César polishing his boots. The black-and-white print is typical of Daumier's satirical series.
Description
Mr. Hume dominates the foreground, elegantly dressed, arms crossed, with a faint smile. Beside him Jules-César kneels in rustic clothing, cleaning the boots, his expression worried. Other figures in the background watch the scene. The arrangement pulls attention to the two main figures while the background stays less detailed. The lithograph's greys heighten contrasts and shading.
Context
The caricature appeared during the reign of Napoleon III, when Daumier worked regularly for the satirical paper Le Charivari. It targets social hierarchies and the absurdity of class arrogance by casting a historical figure like Jules-César in a subordinate role. Daumier used lithography to attack political and social ills, though this print mocks a more general human weakness.
Impact
The exaggerated features and the odd situation create a comic effect that prompts reflection on power relations. The contrast between Hume's smug posture and César's glum face sharpens the satirical point. The pared-down imagery focuses the eye on how the figures interact.
Technique
Lithography is a planographic process in which a design is drawn on stone with greasy chalk. This is the second state of two, as recorded in the Delteil catalogue. The sheet measures 24.4 × 35.6 cm, the image 23.3 × 25 cm, which is typical of Daumier's prints.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)