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Robert Macaire Dentiste

Print
1837 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This print by Honoré Daumier is from a series of lithographs that show the character Robert Macaire in a variety of guises. Macaire, originally a character in a play, is a swindler who takes on a number of professions such as journalist, librarian and so on, always ruthlessly pursuing personal gain. Macaire's character symbolised the mood in France at the time of the July Monarchy of the 1830s and 1840s, when wealthy financiers and company owners dominated politics and looked after their own interests at the expense of others. In this print, Macaire is in the guise of a dentist. This print was a working document, coloured by the artist and printer Edward Bouvenne, that was to provide an example for other colourists to follow.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleRobert Macaire Dentiste (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Lithograph
Brief description
Honoré Daumier; 'Robert Macaire Dentiste', lithograph, 1837
Physical description
Caricature of Robert Macaire as a Dentist. Colour tests in the margin for hand colouring. Inscribed in two margins 'Bouvenne' and 'Modele de la Grande Collection de 1839 ce 10 Obre 1838'.
Dimensions
  • Height: 21.5cm
  • Width: 23cm
Marks and inscriptions
'Bouvenne/ Modele de la Grande Collection de 1839 ce 10 Obre 1838' (Textual information; in margin; inscribed)
Gallery label
Most of Daumier’s prints were caricatures satirising contemporary French society and politics. He used the fictional character Robert Macaire in various guises – professor, doctor, banker and dentist – to embody the greed and corruption at the heart of Parisian political life. This proof has been hand-painted with watercolours as a model for the colourists in the printer’s workshop to copy. (11/09/2017)
Credit line
Purchased through the Julie and Robert Breckman Print Fund
Subjects depicted
Summary
This print by Honoré Daumier is from a series of lithographs that show the character Robert Macaire in a variety of guises. Macaire, originally a character in a play, is a swindler who takes on a number of professions such as journalist, librarian and so on, always ruthlessly pursuing personal gain. Macaire's character symbolised the mood in France at the time of the July Monarchy of the 1830s and 1840s, when wealthy financiers and company owners dominated politics and looked after their own interests at the expense of others. In this print, Macaire is in the guise of a dentist. This print was a working document, coloured by the artist and printer Edward Bouvenne, that was to provide an example for other colourists to follow.
Collection
Accession number
E.831-2002

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Record createdJune 10, 2003
Record URL
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