Artwork
Mr. de Robert Macaire Restaurateur
Mr. de Robert Macaire Restaurateur is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1836 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:by Bouvenne, in brown ink, around edge of sheet beginning at top: Modelle; Pour la Collection de 1839; Modele de la Grande Collectione / de 1839 par Edouard Bouvenne; Bouvenne; below image, lower left: Ch Ph invt HD lith; lower right below image: Imp. d'Aubert et de Junca; upper right above image: Caricaturana No. 12; lower center below image: Mr. de Robert-Macaire restaurateur. / Nous exploiterons la carotte en grand! Nous servirons le potage en voiture, nous aurons des tables sur toutes / les bornes, nous ferons pleuvoir dans Paris les allouettes roties…… Nous ….. Avez-vous déjà réalisé quelque / chose de ce beau projet ? – Comment donc ! mais sans doute, sans doute ! j’ai réalisé les actions
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier's Mr. de Robert Macaire Restaurateur (1836) is a hand-colored lithograph that satirizes French society during the July Monarchy. The print critiques class and power dynamics through a restaurant scene.
Subject & Meaning
The image features three men in a kitchen/shop: a gesturing figure in a striped apron and red scarf, a amused man in purple holding a bowl, and a calm, finely dressed onlooker. The scene implies a humorous, possibly fraudulent, culinary scenario, commenting on bourgeois pretensions.
Technique & Style
Daumier employed quick, sketchy lines and hand-coloring to create a lively, exaggerated atmosphere. The lithographic technique allowed for mass production, amplifying the print's satirical reach.
History & Provenance
Created in 1836 for publication in a satirical journal (likely La Caricature or Le Charivari), the print is part of Daumier's broader critique of the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy during the July Monarchy.
Context
The July Monarchy's social and political climate, marked by rising bourgeois influence and perceived hypocrisy, provided the backdrop for Daumier's satire. Restaurants, as emerging public spaces, symbolized the era's class shifts.
Legacy
Mr. de Robert Macaire Restaurateur contributes to Daumier's legacy as a sharp commentator on 19th-century French society. The work remains a notable example of mid-19th-century satirical printmaking.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier (French: ; 26 February 1808 – 10 or 11 February 1879) was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the…
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