Chap. XV: Ecrivons à la Vielle (Writings for the elderly)

Art Historical Context

"Chap. XV: Ecrivons à la Vieille (Writings the Elderly)" is a charming 1824 lithograph created by the collaborative team of Sazerac, Duval, Langlumé and Victor Adam. Measuring 14¼ × 10⅛ inches, this print from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Elisha Whittelsey Collection captures a moment of everyday humor in early 19th-century France Victor Adam, a prolific French lithographer known for his lively genre scenes, likely led the artistic vision, blending the talents of his contemporaries during the Restoration era. The title, translating roughly to "Let's Write to the Old Lady," suggests a whimsical scene of men immersed in reading and writing—perhaps composing a letter to an elderly woman. Tags highlighting "Men, Reading, Writing" evoke the social rituals of correspondence, a vital thread in pre-telegraph society, often laced with satire in period prints. Lithography, a revolutionary technique perfected around 1800, allowed for nuanced tonal effects mimicking drawings, making it ideal for mass-producing such accessible vignettes. This work exemplifies the medium's rise in Paris, where artists like Adam popularized affordable, narrative-driven prints that poked gentle fun at human foibles, bridging fine art and popular culture.

About the Artist

Sazerac and Duval|Langlumé|Victor Adam (French|French) · 1801 | –1866 |

French, 1801–1866|