Honoré Daumier and the Celebrities of the Juste Milieu
by Kim Carpenter
Pointy noses, sagging jowls, and inflated craniums. These are the exaggerated characteristics that frequently appear in political caricatures. Honoré Daumier (1808 - 1879) created such satirical portraits to particularly deft effect, taking physical attributes and transforming them into penetrating commentaries on a person’s moral character. And while Daumier’s portrait busts illuminate French society at a time of dramatic social and political transformation, they also transcend their tumultuous times to provide more profound allegories into politicians and all their foibles. |
