Caricature of Louis Marie de la Haye, Vicomte de Cormenin (alias Timon)
Medium
Black chalk on brown paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 1/16 x 5 3/8 in. (17.9 x 13.7 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Dr. Stephen K. and Janie Woo Scher, 2012
Accession Number
2012.401.18
Tags
About this artwork
This caricature depicts Louis Marie de la Haye, Vicomte de Cormenin, who wrote under the pseudonym Timon, and was created in 1859 by Hippolyte Mailly with attribution to Nadar (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon). The work represents the tradition of political caricature that flourished in mid-19th century France. The drawing employs black chalk on brown paper to create a satirical portrait emphasizing distinctive facial features and expression characteristic of caricature art. The subject, Cormenin (178...
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of mid-19th-century French, this 1859 drawing by Hippolyte Mailly, to the renowned Nadar (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon), captures Louis Marie la Haye, Vicomte de Cormenin—better known by his biting pseudonym Timon. Cormenin (1788–1868), a liberal politician, jurist, and pamphleteer, skewered government corruption under Napoleon III's Second Empire his sharp critiques, drawing inspiration from the misanthropicon of ancient lore and Shakespeare. Such satirical portraits thrived in this era of political tension, poking fun at the powerful through exaggerated features and wry expr...