The Political Eye: Nineteenth-Century French Caricature and the Mass Media
January 30–April 27, 2009
Teaching Gallery
Teaching Gallery
In the wake of the expansion of the rights of freedom of speech in France in the early 1830s, again in the later 1860s, and finally again in the Third Republic, the vibrant and expressive art form of caricature emerged, finding its venue in political journals, cafés, and the windows of newly fashionable printers shops in Paris. Artists gave form to their opinions in a broad range of public images--lithographic caricatures, satirical journals, illustrated books, political posters--all arms of an emergent mass media that shaped the public discourse of the middle classes on matters both political and social. The Political Eye: Nineteenth-Century French Caricature and the Mass Media features a selection of thirty-five of the most powerful of these prints and drawings.
The Political Eye is curated by Elizabeth Childs, associate professor and chair in the department of art history and archaeology, and Steve Hause, senior scholar in the humanities. The exhibition will be used as a teaching tool in Art and Politics in Belle Epoque France, a seminar co-taught by professors Childs and Hause in spring 2009. The seminar will draw Washington University students from art history and archaeology, history, and the Interdisciplinary Project of the Humanities (for which it will serve as the junior colloquium).
Selected works
Unknown (French, 19th century)
"La Charité, S.V.P. Mesdames et Messieurs" ("Charity please, Ladies and Gentlemen")
12 January 1880
Unknown (French, 19th century)
Notre futur archivique (Our Future Archbishop)
late 19th century
Unknown (French, 19th century)
La grande bataille du 21 aôut 1881 (The Great Battle of August 21, 1881)
1881
Unknown (French, 19th century)
Le duel Boulanger-Lareint’y [sic] (The Duel of Boulanger and Lareinty)
late 19th century
Unknown (French, 19th century)
Programme (Program)
late 19th century
L. C.
“Soyez tranquilles, Messieurs, il y en aura pour tous.” (“Rest assured, Gentlemen, there will be enough for everyone.”)
n.d.
Unknown (French, 19th century)
Untitled
late 19th century
Unknown (French, 19th century)
Précautions inutiles (Unnecessary Precautions), from La Caricature
1830–35
A. Casati
Parodie du tableau de la Clytemnestre (Parody of a Painting of Clytemnestra), from La Caricature
23 January 1834
Charles Joseph Traviès de Villers
La tour de Babel politique (The Political Tower of Babel), from La Caricature
15 March 1834
Unknown (French, 19th century)
La réforme (The Reform)
after 1841
Charles Philipon
Projet d'un monument Expia-poire à élever sur la place de la révolution, précisément à la place où fut guillotiné Louis XVI, from La Caricature
7 July 1832
Honoré Daumier
“Une femme comme moi…remettre un bouton?...vous êtes fou!...” (“A woman like me...sew a button?...you’re crazy!...”), from the series Les Bas bleus
1844
Albert Robida
"Dis donc, un conseil?" ("Hey, can I have your advice?"), from the series Littérature
c. 1880s
Albert Robida
"Si je fais des conquêtes!" ("If I make conquests!"), from the series Bains de mer (Sea Bathing)
1886–91
Gustave Frison
Ça glisse tout seul maintenant (She is Skating through Beautifully Now)
1850
Alfred Le Petit
La République en danger: “L'amour (Thiers)—Laisse moi seuleument t’embrasser puisque je le jure que je n’aime que toi.” (The Republic in Danger: “Love [Thiers]—Just let me embrace you as I swear that you are the only one that I love.”), from La Charge
March 7, 1871
Faustin
Thiers et la République (Thiers and the Republic), from Actualité
1871
Moloch
"POUAH!" ("UGH!"), from the series Les Circulaires de Mr. Thiers (The Bills of Mr. Thiers)
c. 1850–75
F. Mathis
Le baiser de Judas (The Kiss of Judas)
n.d.
Honoré Daumier
Europe
1867
E. Vidas
Protestation de Badinguet (Badinguet Protest)
n.d.
Alfred Le Petit
Le porc des Tuileries: "Adieu, mon étoile!" (The Pig of the Tuileries: 'Farewell, my star!'), from La Charge
7 May 1870
Alfred Le Petit
L’homme d’affaire de sa Majesté (His Majesty’s Businessman), from La Charge
n.d.
Alfred Le Petit
"Mes chers petits Parisiens..." ("My dear little Parisians..."), from La Charge
n.d.
Alfred Le Petit
Le décrotteur du roi Guilluame (King William’s Boot Cleaner)
n.d.
Unknown (French, 19th century)
La République chassant la basse-cour des Tuileries (The Republic Driving the Poultry Out of the Tuileries Palace), from the series Actualités (Current Events)
late 19th century
Unknown (French, 19th century)
La balayeuse nationale (The National Housekeeper)
late 19th century
Unknown (French, 19th century)
Un Siége [sic], S.V.P. (A Seat, Please), from La Revue comique
15 October 1871
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Le coiffeur, a poster for Le Théâtre Libre
1893
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Divan Japonais, from the series Les Mâitres de l'Affiche
1893
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
May Milton
1895Teaching Gallery
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