King Bird (Robert P. King and Alexander Baird), from The Comic Natural History of the Human Race

Art Historical Context

"King Bird (Robert P King and Alexander Baird), *The Comic Natural History of the Human*" is a vibrant 1851 color lithograph watercolor and gum, measuring 10 5/8 × 7 inches. Created by artists Samuel Robinson, Henry Louis, and Rosenthal, this print belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of's Drawings and Prints collection, gifted by Lincoln Kirstein in 1964. Part of a humorous series that playfully categorizes humans as animals, it satirizes Robert P. King and Alexander—likely prominent figures of the era—depicted as regal, bird-like characters, poking fun at pretensions of power or social status. Lithography, a revolutionary 19th-century technique, enabled affordable color printing, with hand-applied watercolor and gum arabic adding depth and shine to the feathers and finery. This medium was ideal for mass-producing satirical works, reflecting the booming market for witty commentary in mid-1800s America amid rapid social change. As a tagged satire, the piece captures the era's sharp humor, critiquing human folly through animal analogies. It invites visitors to chuckle at timeless vanities while appreciating the technical finesse of early color prints— a delightful window into Victorian-era wit.

About the Artist

Samuel Robinson|Henry Louis Stephens|Rosenthal (American|American|American) · 1800 |1824 |1840 –1900 |1882 |1900

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|American, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1824–1882 Bayonne, New Jersey|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania