"Praise of Chicken" from The Complete Works of Béranger 1836

J. J. Grandville made this lithograph, "Praise of Chicken" as part of an edition of The Complete Works of Béranger. Lithography is a printmaking process using a flat stone or metal plate, on which the image areas are worked using a greasy substance so that the ink will adhere to them, while the non-image areas are made ink-repellent. Look closely and you'll see the fine lines that Grandville was able to achieve through this process. The way lithography captures details is significant here. It allows for a critical, almost satirical depiction of the scene: a group of men gathered around a table, celebrating a chicken dinner. The choice of lithography speaks volumes about the artwork's social context. This printmaking method allowed for mass production and distribution, making art more accessible to a wider audience. It reflects the changing landscape of art consumption and the rise of a more democratic art market, where even a humble chicken dinner could be the subject of artistic praise or, perhaps, gentle mockery. It also reminds us of the labor involved in both producing the image and preparing the feast.