Antique Print-ROBERT MACAIRE-INSURANCE FRAUD-CLAIM-SWINDLE-SATIRE-Daumier-1840

No. 20: 'Robert-Macaire renait de ses cendres.' (Robert Macaire rising from his ashes.) This satire plate shows Macaire, the unscrupulous swindler and profiteer. Robert Macaire is trying to file an insurance claim to his broker. The caption reads: 'By heavens! The company's in a pretty mess! Yesterday I insured my super-glue plant and my flint-lock factory, I had only just sorted things out with you, when fire broke out in four places. Everything's burnt, dissolved, completely cooked. I could only manage to save the sign and my insurance policy. I've lost one hundred thousand three hundred francs, fifty one centimes, which you're now going to repay me. What a terrible tragedy!!' 2 Sheets: 1 page with lithograph and 3 letterpress text pages including title page. Print in original crayon-lithograph. Rear text and text pages in letterpress text on a vellin type paper. Description: This scarse print and text originates from: 'Les Cent et Un Robert-Macaire, composà e et dessinà s par M.H. Daumier, sur les idà es et les là gendes de M. Ch. Philipon, rà duits et lithographià s par M.M ***; texte par MM. Maurice Alhoy et Louis Huart, published in Paris by Aubert & Cie., 1840 edition. This issue contains lithographed plates by or after Daumier with captions by Philipon beneath and continuation of letterpress text on versos. Daumier's striking images and Philipon's pointy text were first published in a larger format in 'Le Charivari' between the 20th August 1836 and 25th November 1838 (first series). Daumier produced these social caricatures, in which he holds bourgeois society up to ridicule in the figure of Robert Macaire, hero of a popular melodrama created in 1823 by Benjamin Antier ('L' Auberge des andrets.') The breakthrough came in 1834, when Frà dà ric Lemaitre used the names of Macaire and his somewhat simple partner Serres-Bertrand for his various comedies in Paris. The figure of Macaire goes back as far as 1371, when - as the legend goes - Aubri de Montdidier, a nobleman from the court of Charles V was assassinated by Macaire. The murder was vindicated by his dog, the only witness of the assassination. A duel between the dog and Macaire, who was armed with a cudgel, should settle the case. The dog killed Macaire, who confessed the murder before he died. The 'Robert-Macaire' represents all that was wrong with the society under King Louis Phillipp's I Regime, satirizing businessmen personified in Macaire, an unscrupulous, flattering swindler and profiteer. In this issue reduced, often reversed versions of the plates were drawn (possibly by Menut Adolphe and not by Daumier - sources are unclear) and related text compiled by Alhoy and Huart. Philipon was the author of all the texts of this series. It should be noted that Daumier did not monogram or sign the prints, presumable because Philipon wanted to document his position as author of the texts and as 'inventor' of the series. Ref: Beraldi V, p. 124; Carteret III, p. 187; Hazard-Delteil 989-1090; Ray French 162; Vicaire I, 31.Artists and Engravers: Honorà Daumier (1808-1879) was a French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor, whose many works offer commentary on social and political life in France in the 19th century. Charles Philipon (1800-1861) was a French lithographer, caricaturist and journalist. He was the editor of the La Caricature and of Le Charivari, both satirical political journals. Adolphe Menut is an alias for Marie Alexandre Alophe (1812-1883) a French lithographer, painter and photographer Condition: Excellent. General age related toning and occasional light foxing / staining. Please study scan carefully. Storage location: C192-20 The overall size is ca. 7.5 x 9.8 inch. The image size is ca. 6.3 x 8.9 inch. The overall size is ca. 19 x 25 cm. The image size is ca. 16 x 22.5 cm. …