Le Roi Plutus 

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen created "Le Roi Plutus" using drawing. The work presents us with a jarring juxtaposition: a bird-like figure with menacing claws, dressed in a top hat and standing guard over what appears to be a woman seated on a coffer overflowing with riches. The scene is rendered with stark lines and a somber palette. The angularity of the bird figure contrasts with the soft curves of the woman, creating tension within the composition. Here, Steinlen uses the semiotic language of caricature to deliver social commentary. The figure of "Le Roi Plutus" embodies wealth and power and the woman represents a world dominated by capital. The artist uses the formal elements of line and form to create a visual language that critiques the socio-economic structures of his time. The composition is not merely an aesthetic arrangement but a structured argument about power and inequality. The formal disjunctions in "Le Roi Plutus" invite us to question the stability of the social order and prompt a reconsideration of the relationship between power, wealth, and representation.