Mr. Benjamin Dudessert, plate 287 from Célébrités de la Caricature 1833

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph of Mr. Benjamin Dudessert as part of his series Célébrités de la Caricature. Through caricature, Daumier provided social commentary on 19th-century French society, particularly during the July Monarchy and the Second Empire. Daumier used his artistic skills to challenge the status quo, often targeting the bourgeoisie. In this portrait, Dudessert, a man of stature, is rendered with a pronounced nose and a somewhat dismissive posture. Daumier seems to imply a critique of the values and self-importance of the bourgeois class. His caricatures were more than mere likenesses, they captured what Daumier saw as the moral and ethical failings of the French middle class. Daumier’s work invites us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in representation, and how art can serve as a tool for social critique. The discomfort we might feel underscores the effectiveness of Daumier’s critique and its resonance even today.