Very High and Mighty Legitimate Brats. Peoples, defend yourselves, tear yourselves to pieces, sacrifice yourselves for these royals, you belong to them, imbeciles, plate 19
Medium
Lithograph in black on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 30 × 47.8 cm (11 13/16 × 18 7/8 in.); Sheet: 36.8 × 54.6 cm (14 1/2 × 21 1/2 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
96304
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier, a master of 19th-century French caricature, created *Very High and Mighty Leg Brats. Peoples, yourselves, tear yourselves to, sacrifice yourselves for theseals, you belong to, imbeciles, 19* in 1834. This biting lithograph is part of his series mocking the "legitimists"—staunch supporters of the ousted Bourbon king Charles X following the 1830 July Revolution. Daumier's savage title skewers the aristocracy's entitlement, urging the masses to blindly sacrifice for their "betters," reflecting the turbulent politics of Louis-Philippe's July Monarchy. Rendered in bold black ink on...
About the Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier · 1808–1879
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...