"Orangutans" from The Complete Works of Béranger
Medium
Wood engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 5/8 × 5 1/2 in. (21.9 × 14 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection. The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.500.687(134)
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, where find "Orangutans," a captivating wood engraving from 1836, featured in *The Complete Works of Bér*. Created by the renowned French caricaturist J.. Grandville (Jeangnace-Isidore), with engraving by Fournier & Perrotin and text by lyricist Pierre-Jean de Béranger, petite print (8 5/8 × 5 1/2 in.) exemplifies the satirical spirit of 19th-century France during the July Monarchy. Grandville, a master of anthropomorphism, often populated his illustrations with animals mimicking human folly, blending whimsy with sharp social commentary. Here, orangutans likely serve as stand-ins for human vices or societal quirks, echoing Béranger's popular songs that critiqued politics and culture with sly humor. Wood engraving, the medium of choice, allowed for intricate details and tonal subtlety—engravers incised designs into the end grain of wood blocks, enabling mass reproduction in books while rivaling finer intaglio techniques. This piece highlights the era's booming illustrated book culture, where satire thrived amid censorship. Part of The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, it invites us to chuckle at timeless absurdities, reminding visitors of art's power to mirror society through playful primate portraits.
About the Artist
Fournier & Perrotin|Pierre Jean de Béranger|J. J. Grandville (French|French|French|French) · |1780 | |1803 – |1857 | |1847
French|French, Paris 1780–1857 Paris|French|French, Nancy 1803–1847 Vanves