Prudhomme obliged to take lessons from Miss Menken in order to stop a cab, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, July 1, 1867

Art Historical Context

In the bustling satirical world of 19th-century Paris, Honoré Daumier, a master of caricature, created this lively lithograph published in *Le Charivari* on 1, 1867. Titled *Prudhomme obliged to lessons from Miss Menken order to stop a cab it features collaborators Destouches and Arnaud de V. *Le Charivari*, a pioneering humor magazine, was Daumier's playground for skewering bourgeois pretensions during the Second Empire. Here, the hapless Monsieur Prudhomme—a stock character embodying pompous middle-class folly—takes absurd "lessons" from the daring American actress Adah Isaacs Menken to hail a cabriolet, evoking her scandalous equestrian roles like *Mazeppa*. Rendered in lithograph with pen and brown ink on newsprint (a second-state proof), the work showcases Daumier's signature style: exaggerated gestures, dynamic compositions, and sharp social observation. The modest dimensions (image 9 7/16 × 8 1/2 in.) suited ephemeral newsprint, making satire accessible to the masses. Horses rear dramatically amid urban chaos, highlighting class clashes and the era's fascination with celebrity. This piece captures 1867 Paris's vibrant street life, blending humor with cultural critique. Menken's real-life Paris triumphs added timely bite, reminding us how Daumier's prints immortalized fleeting follies. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, it invites us to chuckle at timeless human absurdity.

About the Artist

Destouches|Honoré Daumier|Arnaud de Vresse (French|French) · 1808 |1800 –1879 |1900

French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|Paris