Le Départ de Calicot Pour le Combat 1817 - 1818

"Le Départ de Calicot Pour le Combat" (The Departure of Calicot for Combat) is a hand-colored satirical print, created anonymously in 1817-1818, that is currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The print depicts a caricature of a man, Calicot, dressed in extravagant clothing, leaving his shop, possibly a tailor shop, to fight. The exaggerated details in his clothing and the humorous nature of the print suggest that it was created to mock fashion trends of the time. Calicot’s exaggerated and unusual attire, particularly the spikes on his shoes, contribute to the overall satirical tone of the work. The artist, while unknown, skillfully captured the essence of early 19th-century fashion trends, and satirized the extravagance that was prominent in the era.