Mister Vulture
1840
Medium
Pen and ink
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 5/8 in. × 5 in. (14.3 × 12.7 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Michael Schlossberg, 2019
Accession Number
2019.164.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the whimsical yet biting world of 19th-century French satire J. J. Grand's *Mister Vulture*1840) stands out as a masterful pen-and-ink drawing. Grandville, a pioneering caricaturist known for his anthropomorphic fantasies, transforms a scavenging bird into a dapper, human-like figure—complete with top hat and tailcoat—capturing the era's penchant for social commentary through animal allegory. This intimate sheet, measuring just 5 5/8 × 5 inches, showcases his exquisite line work, where fine pen strokes build exaggerated features and sly expressions to mock human foibles. Created during Fra...