Célébrités de la Caricature

Paris: Chez Aubert, 1833. One of the earliest sustained attempts in European graphic art to render political power
as embodied psychology rather than symbolic caricature"
Orléanist Politicians as Seen by Daumier

DAUMIER, Honoré. Célébrités de la Caricature. Paris: Chez Aubert, 1833.

Folio (4 3/4 x 10 1/2 inches; 374 x 267 mm.).

Two inserted portraits, one inserted illustration by Jouas, and seventeen (of twenty-six) superb lithograph plates from the series Célébrités de la Caricature by Honoré Daumier, and five hand colored duplicate plates.
All plates mounted on stubs.

Bound ca. 1900 in three-quarter black morocco over marbled boards, smooth spine decoratively stamped and lettered horizontally in gilt 'Portraits en Pied Parlementaires - 1833', marbled endpapers. Some foxing throughout.

"Célébrités de la Caricature [Celebrities from La Caricature] is a series of 26 lithographs, which appeared in La Caricature and Le Charivari between April 26, 1832 and November 9, 1833. The first eight prints of the series show the portraits of well known politicians of the time. Underneath, taking up almost as much space as the portrait itself, an imaginary coat of arms is showing the characteristics of the person. It is in most cases in color although the portrait is in black and white. The last 18 prints show full size portraits without the coat of arms.

Philipon had first asked Traviès and later Daumier to draw caricatures of Orléanist politicians, while he supplied the text as well as the ideas for their respective coats of arms. On April 26, 1832 Philipon explained the project, which was to be highly successful, to the readers of the Charivari. The publication however had to be delayed since Daumier decided to first mould clay models of each politician before drawing the lithograph. These "Célébrités de la Caricature" appeared under DR 43, 45, 46, 48, and 51, starting with Monsieur de Lameth. In March 1833, the Charivari took over from the Caricature and published another three personalities with their coat of arms under DR 144, 150 and 173. After that, the series continued with portraits and full figure designs, however without the allusive arms. This third section contained 18 full size portraits, published in the Caricature during 1833. While the former prints were of a vignette like shape, Daumier now showed the entire figure of the person, concentrating on their overall appearance, including the clothing. The sometimes "theatrical" costumes further enhanced the message the artist wanted to convey of the person's human qualities." (Daumier Register).

We have been unable to find any copies of Célébrités de la Caricature at auction over the past 100 years.
OCLC & KVK locate no copies in libraries and institutions worldwide.

While individual plates from Célébrités de la Caricature are well represented in museum collections (BNF, British Museum, The Met), assembled albums - particularly heterogeneous, mixed-state compilations such as this - are virtually unknown. The ephemeral nature of satirical journals, combined with censorship pressures and the lack of an official "edition" in book form, makes survival in this state exceptional.

The Plates:

A. Inserted vignette portrait of the Young Daumier, anonymous, early 1830s.
B. Inserted engraved portrait of Honoré Daumier in advanced age. Salon de 1881 engraving after the portrait by Auguste Boulard
C. Inserted illustration A fine composition by Charles Jouas, depicting a gathering of Daumier's most recognizable character types arranged around a sculptural pedestal.

1. Mr. Arlépaire. [La Caricature 05/06/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 280]. (DR #55).
2. Mr. Baill. [La Caricature 12/09/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 312]. (DR #69).
3. Mr. Baill. (Color) [La Caricature 12/09/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 312]. (DR #69).
4. Mr. Barthe. [La Caricature 18/07/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 294]. (DR #62).
5. Mr. Benjamin Dudessert. [La Caricature 27/06/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 287]. (DR #59).
6. Mr. Cunin Grid. [La Caricature 18/07/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 295]. (DR #64).
7. Mr. Cunin Grid. (Color) [La Caricature 18/07/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 295]. (DR #64).
8. Mr. Étien. [La Caricature 13/06/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 283]. (DR #57).
9. Mr. Étien. (Color) [La Caricature 13/06/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 283]. (DR #57).
10. Mr. Fulchir. [La Caricature 16/05/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 273]. (DR #53).
11. Mr. Guiz. [La Caricature 13/12/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 340]. (DR #74).
12. Mr. Keratr. [La Caricature 19/09/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 314]. (DR #70).
13. Mr. Joliv. [La Caricature 27/12/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 346]. (DR #75).
14. Mr. Odieux. [La Caricature 20/06/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 285]. (DR #58).
15. Mr. Pot de Naz. [La Caricature 02/05/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 270]. (DR #52).
16. Mr. Prune. [La Caricature 27/06/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 288]. (DR #60).
17. Mr. De Rign. [La Caricature 21/11/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 333]. (DR #72).
18. Mr. Royer-Col. [La Caricature 22/08/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 306]. (DR #68).
19. Mr. Royer-Col. (Color) [La Caricature 22/08/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 306]. (DR #68).
20. Mr. Sébast. [La Caricature 13/06/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 281]. (DR #56).
21. Mr. Sébast. (Color) [La Caricature 13/06/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 281]. (DR #56).
22. Mr. Vieux-Niais. [La Caricature 30/05/1833 - Célébrités de la Caricature - plate no. 278]. (DR #54).

Célébrités de la Caricature
Sobriquets Decoded: Political Meaning & Satirical Intent

1. Mr. Arlépaire - Jean-Marie Harlé père
A pun on "harlequin" and "pair," mocking his theatrical opportunism and habit of shifting loyalties to remain politically relevant.
2. Mr. Baill... - Claude Baillot
Named to suggest banal rigidity ("bailler" / dullness), Daumier presents him as the embodiment of complacent parliamentary inertia.
3. Mr. Baill... (color) - Claude Baillot
The added color underscores his self-importance while changing nothing of his essential mediocrity.
4. Mr. Barthe - Félix Barthe
Depicted as overstuffed and ponderous, reflecting his reputation as a verbose legal mind weighed down by proceduralism.
5. Mr. Benjamin Dudessert - Benjamin Delessert
A biting phonetic distortion suggesting softness and indulgence, aimed at the banker-philanthropist's comfortable liberalism.
6. Mr. Cunin Grid... - Laurent Cunin-Gridaine
The fractured name mirrors his contorted political positions, caught between protectionist industry and Orléanist moderation.
7. Mr. Cunin Grid... (color) - Laurent Cunin-Gridaine
Color heightens the comic tension between his ministerial authority and his awkward, almost ungainly physical stance.
8. Mr. Étien... - Charles-Guillaume Étienne
Reduced to a clipped name to mock his pretensions as a moralist playwright turned cautious regime supporter.
9. Mr. Étien... (color) - Charles-Guillaume Étienne
The gentle coloring reinforces the irony of his self-image as a man of letters compromised by political conformity.
10. Mr. Fulchir... - Jean-Claude Fulchiron
The name hints at "fulgurant" without the substance, skewering his rhetorical flourish unsupported by action.
11. Mr. Guiz... - François Guizot
Barely disguised, the truncation signals notoriety rather than concealment: Guizot was already a caricature of doctrinaire power.
12. Mr. Keratr - Auguste-Hilarion, comte de Kératry
The harsh consonants echo his aristocratic stiffness and aloof detachment from popular concerns.
13. Mr. Joliv... - Adolphe Jollivet
Ironically named to suggest cheerfulness, while shown hunched and insinuating-satire aimed at political obsequiousness.
14. Mr. Odieux - Antoine Odier
A direct moral judgment: "odious" to the opposition for his financial conservatism and cold technocratic demeanor.
15. Mr. Pot de Naz - Baron de Podenas
A coarse pun implying empty bluster and nasal self-importance, aimed at a minor figure inflated beyond his merits.
16. Mr. Prune - Clément Prunelle
A visual joke on "prunelle" (pupil of the eye), portraying him as watchful, tight-lipped, and fundamentally small-minded.
17. Mr. De Rign - Comte de Rigny
The clipped sobriquet suggests aristocratic rigidity, reinforcing his image as a dignified but outdated naval minister.
18. Mr. Royer-Col... - Pierre-Paul Royer-Collard
Rendered monumental and heavy, the name truncation underscores his philosophical gravitas turned into intellectual immobility.
19. Mr. Royer-Col... (color) - Pierre-Paul Royer-Collard
Color emphasizes bulk and presence, reinforcing Daumier's critique of moral authority ossified into mass.
20. Mr. Sébast... - Horace-François, comte Sebastiani
Shown preening and theatrical, the nickname highlights his reputation as a military showman turned political courtier.
21. Mr. Sébast... (color) - Horace-François, comte Sebastiani
The coloring sharpens the contrast between his flamboyant posture and the hollowness of his parliamentary stance.
22. Mr. Vieux-Niais - Jean-Pons-Guillaume Viennet
One of Daumier's most savage labels-"old fool"-targeting Viennet's reactionary views and cultural conservatism.

Daumier Register: DR-43 - DR-75 & DR-144, 150 & 173.
(The missing plates are DR-43; 45; 46; 48; 51; 53; 63; 144; 150 & 173).