Collection of 38 (of 39) lithographs, sur blanc, 1848. 241x291 mm; 9 1/2x7 1/2 inches, full margins. Printed and published by Aubert, Paris.
Ex-collection Kennedy Galleries, Inc., New York, with the original labels on the frame backs. Superb impressions of these important lithogrpahs.
Includes the complete set of 37 published lithographs in the series, as well as one (of 2) unpublished lithographs associated with the series (see Delteil 1362).
Daumier (1808-1879), a prolific caricaturist, printmaker, painter and sculptor, demonstrated an artistic inclination at a young age. He quickly became the protégé to classicist painter Alexandre Lenoir (1761-1839), and further advanced his artistic traning by enrolling in the Acadèmie Suisse, Paris. Daumier mastered the techinique of lithography early on in his career, and published his first plate in the satirical periodical La Silhouette in 1829.
A master caricaturist, the current lot exemplifies Daumier's unparalleled penchant for scathing satire. Originally published in Le Charivari between 1845-48, the lithographs satirize the lives of corrupt lawyers and crooked judges, and Daumier combines simplistic compositions with exaggerated, dramatic figural expressions to lend a poignant depth to each. Delteil 1337-1375.
