Another way to make use of the new petticoats that have lately become fashionable, plate 294 from Actualités
Medium
Lithograph in black on white wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 26.6 × 21.8 cm (10 1/2 × 8 5/8 in.); Sheet: 34.7 × 25.8 cm (13 11/16 × 10 3/16 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
79973
Art Historical Context
Step into the sharp-witted world of Honoré-Victorin Daumier with *Another way to make use of new petticoats that lately become fashionable*, plate294 from his *Actualités* series, created in 1856. This lithograph in black on white wove (image: 26.6 × 21.8 cm) captures Daumier's signature flair, poking fun at the era's booming crinoline trend—those wide, stiff petticoats that defined mid-19th-century women's fashion in France. The title hints at a clever, perhaps cheeky alternative use for these cumbersome garments, reflecting Daumier's knack for turning everyday absurdities into biting comment...
About the Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier · 1808–1879
Honoré-Victorin Daumier (1808-1879) was a prolific French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor whose works offered incisive commentary on the social and political life of 19th-century France. Known as the 'Michelangelo of Caricature,' Daumier produced over 4,000 lithographs, 500 paintings, 1,000 drawings, and 100 sculptures during his lifetime. His biting political satire led to his imp...