Alexandre Lecomte c. 1832 - 1940

Honoré Daumier made this bronze sculpture of Alexandre Lecomte in France, though the exact date is unknown. Daumier was a Republican, living through a period of political turbulence and censorship, and his lithographs often lampooned the political class. In the 1830s, France was ruled by Louis-Philippe, whose government became increasingly authoritarian. This sculpture, along with others in Daumier's series of portrait-charges, satirizes prominent members of the government and artistic establishment. Alexandre Lecomte was a sculptor favored by the state. Daumier's caricature reduces Lecomte to a set of exaggerated features, hinting at the vanity and self-importance Daumier saw in establishment figures. To understand Daumier's work fully, we need to delve into the political and artistic climate of 19th-century France, exploring sources like newspapers, political pamphlets, and exhibition reviews. Art is always made in a particular social and institutional context, and the job of the historian is to reconstruct that context.