A Rival of Mr. Hume's. “- Oh Adelaide, what an experience.... I just made the shadow of Sesostris appear in front of me! - And what did Sesostris say to you? - He spoke to me in French.. and called me a mug!,” plate 384 from Actualités

Art Historical Context

In 1857, French satirical master Honoré Daumier captured the era's fascination with spiritualism in this lithograph, *A Rival of Mr. Hume*, plate 384 from his *Actualités* series. amid the Second Empire's cultural buzz, when séances and mediums captivated Parisian society, Daumier skewers the pretensions of a self-proclaimed rival to the famous spiritualist Mr. Hume. The dialogue—where a figure boasts of summoning the shadow of ancient Egyptian pharaoh Sesost, only for it to mock him in French slang as a "mug" (fool)—hilariously deflates the supernatural hype. Daumier's genius lies in his biting social commentary, a hallmark of his over 4,000 lithographs for journals like *Le Charivari*. Here, his fluid black ink on wove paper employs expressive lines and exaggerated expressions to convey absurdity, blending caricature with keen observation of bourgeois fads. The modest image size (19.5 × 24.9 cm) made it ideal for affordable, mass-distributed critique. This work exemplifies lithography's democratic power in 19th-century France, amplifying Daumier's voice against hypocrisy. Today, at the Art Institute of Chicago, it reminds us how art can lampoon fleeting trends with enduring wit.

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...