HD 01                  DENTISTE                h. 15 cm

(Les Bons Bourgeois 45, published in Le Charivari in 1847) The 82 lithos named Les Bons Bourgeois are part of Daumier’s most appreciated work. With a great sense of humour Paris’ middle class are portrayed as superficial, narrow minded and spineless during turbulent political times. It is not by coincidence that the famous poet Beaudelaire compared Daumier with Molière. The dentist’s scene is drawn in more of a free style than Daumier’s previous work. The fact that his publisher Philipon left it on the shelves for seven months, possibly indicates that he had his reservations about Daumier’s growing artistic aspirations.

A solictors’ conversation (pencil, ink and water colour) Between 1868 and 1870 Daumier draws and paints solicitors and their daily working lives. He sees them as talented, but conceited actors without passion, members of a withdrawn class which only exist merely by the grace of ordinary people’s foolishness and helplessness. In his point of view they needlessly enrich themselves by inflated expenses and mutual deals.

 HD 02                    AVOCATE               h. 16 cm

Macaire, légataire universel (Caricaturama 62, published in Le Charivari in 1837) The character Robert Macaire is based on Frédérick Lemaître, the leading man in the popular melodrama l’Auberge des Adrets. This play characterises, in a grotesque manner, a type of complainer, scoundrel and swindler which was apparently very recognisable in those days. Macair is portrayed in a series of 100 lithographs in which he practises many dubious professions such as mesmerist, quack doctor and marriage broker.

HD 03                  DOCTEUR                  h. 14 cm