The usefulness of the crinoline when cheating the customs, plate 414 from Actualités
Medium
Lithograph in black on white wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 20.8 × 26.7 cm (8 1/4 × 10 9/16 in.); Sheet: 27.2 × 35.8 cm (10 3/4 × 14 1/8 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
84651
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Daumier’s Actualités (News of the Day) lithograph series for the satirical daily Charivari treated many themes, with topics ranging from fashion to politics. Here the trendy crinoline cage supporting newly widened skirts proves a convenient method to shield foodstuffs from taxation; the whalebone frame covers most of a butcher’s larder as well as an oversized wine bottle.
About the Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier · 1808–1879
Honoré-Victorin Daumier (1808-1879) was a prolific French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor whose works offered incisive commentary on the social and political life of 19th-century France. Known as the 'Michelangelo of Caricature,' Daumier produced over 4,000 lithographs, 500 paintings, 1,000 drawings, and 100 sculptures during his lifetime. His biting political satire led to his imp...