Caricature of Eugène Marcel 1855

This is a caricature of Eugène Marcel, created by Claude Monet using graphite. It is difficult to put a date on this work. Monet’s caricature is very much in keeping with a long tradition of French satire. Honoré Daumier, for example, used caricature to undermine the powerful in 19th-century France. But what’s interesting is that Monet made the bulk of these caricatures when he was just a teenager. These weren’t created as part of some broader social critique, but were most likely simply youthful jokes, poking fun at the artist’s elders and betters. To understand the role of art, we need to examine the conditions of its making and reception. What was socially acceptable in the French art world? What was the role of the academy? Who was buying art and why? These are all questions that the historian can help to answer.