Voila!... un fameux temps pour les petits pois...

About this work

This sketch shows two exaggerated, skeletal figures in a top hat and a hooded cloak, standing close together. Their faces are gaunt, with hollow cheeks and sharp noses, and their hands are bony and outstretched. The background is a rough, textured line drawing of a cityscape with tiny buildings and people, all drawn quickly in loose strokes. The title at the top calls out "a famous time for the peas," hinting at a joke about Parisian life in 1839. The drawing looks like it was made fast, with ink smudges and uneven lines—almost like a newspaper sketch. Look up lithography to see how this kind of print was made.