← Honoré Daumier

Plate 19: Robert Macaire at the restaurant, from 'Caricaturana,' published in Les Robert Macaires

Original title: Plate 19: Robert Macaire at the restaurant, from 'Caricaturana,' published in Les Robert Macaires

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

1838

Medium

Lithograph on wove paper; fourth state of four (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 8 7/16 × 10 13/16 in. (21.5 × 27.4 cm) Sheet: 10 1/4 × 13 7/16 in. (26.1 × 34.2 cm)

Credit line

Gift of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1953

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph in 1838, a satirical restaurant scene. Three figures gather around a table; a standing man with a bottle and a wide grin appears to be in the middle of a speech. The sheet belongs to the 'Caricaturana' series and survives here in the fourth of four states (Delteil).

Description

At the front, a formally dressed figure at the table turns toward the standing man while holding a bottle. On the right sits another equally formal character wearing an unusual head covering. The standing figure at the left edge has a striking hairstyle and an exaggerated grin, presenting a bottle as he speaks. A bottle and glass rest on the table; gestures and postures keep the layout in motion. Tones stay monochrome grey, evenly lit and without visible shadows.

Context

The print was published in 1838 within the sequence 'Les Robert Macaires', which grew out of the popular stage play 'L'Auberge des Adrets'. The 'Caricaturana' series was a collaboration with the writer Charles Philipon, who supplied the captions. In Robert Macaire the figure of the unscrupulous social climber took shape, carrying with it a critique of the bourgeoisie under the July Monarchy. The publisher Aubert in Paris was responsible for bringing it out.

Impact

The overdone faces and gestures come across as comic and critical at once; a smile tends to follow. The restless arrangement of the figures gives the scene a storytelling liveliness that marks Daumier's caricatures.

Technique

Lithography on wove paper, a process Daumier favoured for his satirical prints. In the fourth state of four (Delteil), the refinements of stone printing come through: crisp lines and delicate grey tones. The technique allowed swift reproduction for publication in journals.

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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)