Plate 27: Robert Macaire, merchant, from 'Caricaturana,' published in Les Robert Macaires
Original title: Plate 27: Robert Macaire, merchant, from 'Caricaturana,' published in Les Robert Macaires
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's 1838 lithograph presents Robert Macaire as a merchant, flanked by two other figures. This black-and-white print on wove paper belongs to the Caricaturana series.
Description
Two men in suits and hats stand facing each other in conversation, while a child in traditional dress waits nearby with a horse. The setting is bare: a wall and a window suggest a townscape. The three figures are grouped toward the middle, drawing the eye. Even light and the grey tones typical of the period define the image, whose caricatural intent comes through in exaggerated faces and clothing.
Context
Created in 1838, the print is part of the Caricaturana series, published in the satirical journal Les Robert Macaires. Daumier invented Robert Macaire as the embodiment of unscrupulous business dealings and charlatanism in 19th-century France. Through the series he attacked social ills and the bourgeoisie of the July Monarchy.
Impact
Exaggerated expressions and comic gestures prompt immediate amusement. Because the figures stand in the middle and the background stays sparse, attention goes to the men's exchange—and with it to the satirical point.
Technique
Executed as a lithograph on wove paper, the print is in the second of two states (Delteil). Fine strokes and gradations demonstrate the lithographic process's ability to produce nuanced greys.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)