Les Propos de Thomas Vireloque: Figaro grown old-becomes Bazile 1853

This lithograph by French artist Paul Gavarni, titled *Les Propos de Thomas Vireloque: Figaro grown old-becomes Bazile*, depicts two figures in a street scene. One figure is a man dressed in rags holding a cane, and the other is a man wearing a long coat and hat. The etching is characteristic of Gavarni's style, and was likely part of the satirical publication *Les Propos de Thomas Vireloque*. The artwork's title implies that the figure in rags is the aging Figaro, a famous character from Beaumarchais's play *The Barber of Seville*. Gavarni's drawing, made in 1853, satirizes societal norms and the foibles of everyday life, and provides a glimpse into the social landscape of 19th-century France.