Ratapoil et Casmajou
1850
Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of Dr. Armand Hammer)
Accession Number
2015.143.498
Art Historical Context
In 1850, French artist Honoré Daumier captured the political intrigue of Second Republic France with his lithograph *Ratapoil et Casmajou*. Daumier, a prolific caricaturist, created the sly, rat-like figure of Ratapoil as a satirical stand-in for the secret agents of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, who were drumming up support ahead of his 1851 coup. Paired here with the equally scheming Casmajou, the duo embodies the era's corruption and manipulation, poking fun at the regime's authoritarian leanings amid tense debates over universal suffrage and plebiscites. Daumier's mastery of lithography shine...
About the Artist
Honoré Daumier · 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...