Plate 28: Conscript replacement agency, from 'Caricaturana,' published in Les Robert Macaires
Medium
Lithograph on wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 9 1/16 × 8 13/16 in. (23 × 22.4 cm) Sheet: 13 7/16 × 10 3/16 in. (34.1 × 25.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1953
Accession Number
53.693.51
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created in 1838 by Honoré Daumier in collaboration with publisher Charles Philipon, this lithograph belongs to the celebrated series *Les Robert Macaires*. The series follows the schemes of the fictional con artist Robert Macaire, a character who embodied the greed and corruption of’s July Monarchy. Plate 28, titled *Conscript replacement agency*, lampoons the practice of hiring substitutes to avoid military service, exposing how the wealthy could evade civic duty while the poor bore its burdens. Daumier’s sharp satire captures a bustling office where men and women negotiate fees and contract...
About the Artist
Aubert et Cie|Charles Philipon|Junca|Honoré Daumier|Aubert et Cie (French|French|French) · 1808 |1829 |1829 –1879 |1929 |1929
French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois| |