Goldberg, Donald Michael

Biographical/Historical Note

This collection is comprised entirely of 19th century French lithographs designed by two artists known by their pseudonyms, Paul Gavarni and Grandville. Guillaume Sulpice Chevalier was born in Paris on 13 January, 1804. He began to study drawing with Professor Leblanc at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers in 1818, and sold his first lithograph for publication in 1824. In 1829 he adopted the name Paul Gavarni after a town in the Pyrenees. The following year he turned to fashion illustration and later designed theatrical costumes and carnival disguises. Beginning in 1837 he drew lithographs for Charles Philipon's journals Le Charivari and La Caricature . Gavarni's images are observations of social manners and customs (and as such are technically caricature only by association). He differed from Philipon's more famous discovery, Honoré Daumier, whose scathing political and social caricature offended many, particularly the government censors. Gavarni abandoned lithography entirely following the death of his young son in 1857, and gradually withdrew from society. He died in obscurity in 1866.

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