← Honoré Daumier

Plate 4: Robert Macaire, discount broker, from 'Caricaturana,' published in Les Robert Macaires

Original title: Plate 4: Robert Macaire, discount broker, from 'Caricaturana,' published in Les Robert Macaires

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

1838

Medium

Color lithograph on wove paper; third state of three (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 10 1/2 × 8 11/16 in. (26.6 × 22 cm) Sheet: 13 7/16 × 10 1/4 in. (34.1 × 26 cm)

Credit line

Gift of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1953

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier's 1838 color lithograph stages a satirical encounter between two mismatched figures: a lean, well-groomed gentleman with a cane and a burly, wildly gesticulating man in a yellow coat. The sheet belongs to the 'Caricaturana' series and is here in the third of three states, printed as a color lithograph on wove paper.

Description

On the left stands a slim man in a dark suit, white shirt and tie, his right hand resting on a cane. Facing him on the right is a portly gentleman in a yellow coat, red scarf and colorful apron; his face is heavily distorted, both hands raised in a lively gesture. A flat light-green background sets off the figures and makes them stand out clearly. Below, a text box closes the image with the caption 'Robert Macaire Escompteur' and further text. The drawing uses caricatural exaggeration of proportions and expressive body language.

Context

The 'Caricaturana' series appeared between 1836 and 1838 in the satirical journal 'Le Charivari'. With Robert Macaire, Daumier created a figure who stood for unscrupulous business dealings and corruption during the July Monarchy. The print is part of a series of 100 lithographs that targeted social types and professional profiles. The discount broker (escompteur) was a contemporary cliché for financial speculation and usury.

Impact

The contrast between the bodies and the expansive gestures immediately provoke laughter, carrying the satirical tone of the series. Clear areas of color and the restrained background focus the eye on the two figures and their interaction; this sharpens the critique of the business practices on display.

Technique

Executed as a color lithograph on wove paper, the work was printed in three states; the present example is the third. The lithographic process allowed Daumier precise lines and solid areas of color, as characteristic of caricatural reproduction. Sharp contours and strong colors mark his prints of those years.

AI-generated description text

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