Le Bouffon - Le Salon de 1868
Original title: Le Bouffon - Le Salon de 1868
kurzbeschreibung
Edward Ancourt produced this hand-colored lithograph in 1868 as the cover for the journal Le Bouffon. It presents a caricatured face flanked by two tiny figures holding signs, and in doing so names the publication’s editor and director.
Description
An exaggerated face with a comic expression dominates the center. To its left and right stand two minuscule figures, each holding up a sign: one reads “Lucien D'Hura” along with “Rédacteur et Crat” and “Directeur.” The journal title “Le Bouffon” appears large and conspicuous across the middle. Text elements giving the address, prices, and other information about the journal are scattered across the lower area and the background. The drawing is humorous and deliberately overdone.
Context
This cover was made for Le Bouffon, a Parisian journal of 1868, and carries the date 10 May 1868. It thus belongs to the satirical press of the period, which took aim at the Paris Salon. Ancourt worked as a lithographer for such publications.
Impact
The overstated caricature and humorous details are amusing and ironic at once. The large central figure draws the eye and emphasizes the journal’s satirical purpose.
Technique
The print was made by lithography and then colored by hand. Such after-painting was common for illustrated journals of the era. The overall format measures 53.3 x 80.5 cm, while the image itself is 37.1 x 52 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)