Illustration in Jérôme Paturot, by Louis Reybaud, Paris, 1846 1841 - 1851

This illustration by J.J. Grandville, created between 1841 and 1851, depicts a man in a black coat and trousers, tumbling headfirst through the air as his briefcase tumbles after him. In the background, four other men in various poses are witnessing this event. The drawing, executed in pen and ink on paper, is an example of the artist's humorous and satirical style, a characteristic of his work. Grandville, a French artist who specialized in caricature and political satire, is known for his exaggerated and grotesque figures. This drawing, likely an illustration from the satirical novel “Jérôme Paturot” by Louis Reybaud, satirizes social and political issues through the use of caricature. The illustration is currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.