The bearded lady: Imprudent woman! You dare hunt on my territory! Tragedy: What! Don't I have a beard as well?, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, February 16, 1867
February 16, 1867
Medium
Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Deltiel)
Dimensions
Image: 9 7/8 × 8 9/16 in. (25.1 × 21.7 cm) Sheet: 13 9/16 × 11 11/16 in. (34.4 × 29.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1953
Accession Number
53.650.3
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling world of 19th-century Parisian satire, Honoré Daumier, collaborators Arnaud de Vresse andouches, crafted this lively lithograph for the February 16, 1867, issue of *Le Charari*'s "News of the" column. Titled *The Bearded Lady: Impr Woman! You Dare Hunt on My Territory Tragedy: What! Don't Have a Beard as Well*, it captures a humorous theatrical clash between a bearded lady—likely a nod to circus sideshow performers—and a melodramatic tragic actress. Printed on ephemeral newsprint in its second state (per Delteil cataloguing), the image measures a compact 9 7/8 × 8 9/16 inches, perfect for quick dissemination among urban readers. Daumier's mastery of lithography shines here, with bold lines and expressive faces conveying exaggerated emotions amid spectators, evoking the vibrant café-concert and theater scenes of Second Empire France. This medium allowed for affordable, mass-produced commentary on social absurdities, gender roles, and performance culture, where women navigated stage stereotypes from freakish novelties to lofty muses. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1953), it reminds us how satire pierced the era's theatrical pomp, blending laughter with sharp cultural critique.
About the Artist
Arnaud de Vresse|Honoré Daumier|Destouches (French|French|French) · 1808 |1800 |1856 –1879 |1900 |1870
French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|Paris|