Caricature of an Engravings Printer

Art Historical Context

In the spirited tradition of 18th-century caricature, *Caricature of an Engings Printer* brings together the talents of Jean-Charles Delafosse, renowned ornamentalist and engraver, andnemond Alexandre Petitot an architect and printmaker. Created with pen and ink, brush and gray colored wash over traces of black chalk, intimate drawing (7 1/16 x 4 1/16 in.) humorously depicts a printer amid his tools, including a printing press and playful donkeys symbolizing stubbornness or folly in the trade. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it captures the satirical edge that poked fun at artisans during the Enlightenment era. Caricatures like this one were vital in the bustling world of printmaking, where engraving disseminated art, news, and satire across Europe. Delafosse and Petitot, active in mid- to late-1700s Paris, used exaggeration to comment on the laborious, ink-stained life of printers—key figures in the Republic of Letters. The donkey motif, a classic emblem of dull-wittedness, adds a layer of witty cultural critique, reflecting how such drawings entertained while highlighting the era's growing print culture. This mixed-media technique allowed for precise lines, subtle shading, and vibrant washes, blending preparatory sketch with finished artistry. A gem from The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, it invites visitors to chuckle at history's quirks and marvel at the craft behind the press.

About the Artist

Jean Charles Delafosse|Ennemond Alexandre Petitot · 1734–1789

French architect. Comment on works: architect; copper engraver Comment on works: Architect; Draughtsman; Ornamentist; Engraver