Collection of 37 (of 39) lithographs on newsprint, 1848. Each approximately 360x255 mm; 14¼x10 inches (sheets), full margins. Printed and published by Aubert, Paris. Delteil 1337-1361 and 1363-1374.
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 technique 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.
