Le Cauchemar (The Nightmare), published in La Caricature no. 69, February 23, 1832
Medium
Lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 10 11/16 × 14 3/16 in. (27.2 × 36 cm) Image: 9 3/16 × 11 9/16 in. (23.3 × 29.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1957
Accession Number
57.650.35
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the satirical world of 19th-century France with *Le Cauchemar (The Nightmare)*, a bold lithograph by Honoréumier published in *La Caricature* no. 69 on February , 1832. Daumier, a master of political caricature during the July Monarchy, King Louis Philippe and revolutionary hero Marquis de Lafayette in print from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Measuring about 10½ by 14 inches, the work captures a nightmarish scene of sleep, men, and symbolic fruit—likely a jab at Louis Philippe's pear-shaped nickname, "Poire." Created amid tensions following the 1830 Revolution, the lithograph refl...
About the Artist
Honoré Daumier|Marquis de Lafayette|Louis Philippe, King of France|Aubert et Cie|Delaporte · 1810–1879
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...