Honoré Daumier, “Sarrans Jeune”, 1848

Honoré Daumier (aka [pseudonym] Rogelin) (1808–1879)

“Sarrans Jeune”, 1848, lithograph printed and published in Paris in 1849 by Aubert & Cie (fl.c1830s–1880s), in “Le Charivari”, as plate 3 (as numbered above image at right) and plate 5 from the first sub-set series, “Album Les représentans représentés. 1ère série”, showing a caricature of Léon Bernard Sarrans (aka Bernard-Alexis) (1796–1874) who was famous at the time as a French politician, but also as a journalist and writer. The Daumier Register advises that Sarrans was “a publisher and friend of Louis-Napoléon. He spoke in [favour] of an active propaganda on behalf of the liberty of the people” (https://www.daumier-register.org/hintergrundlist_popup.php?key_m=).

Note that the date of this lithograph in 1848 is very significant, as this was the time of the February Revolution in France when Louis-Philippe I (1773–1850)—the last king to reign in France—was deposed and replaced by Napoleon III (aka Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (1808–1873) as the first president of France. Interestingly, Léon Bernard Sarrans wrote a two-volume history of this important period: “Histoire de la Révolution de février 1848”, published in 1850 when Napoleon III became Emperor of France until he too was deposed in 1870. (My apologies for any inaccuracies in my account of the tumultuous times in which Sarrans Jeune was perceived as an “enfant terrible” [see https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sarrans_jeune,_enfant_terrible.jpg].)

Regarding the series of lithographs, the Curator of the British Museum offers the following insights: “'Les représentans représentés', a series of 109 caricatures of French deputies, consists of two sets: the first one on the 'Assemblée Constituante', the second one on the 'Assemblée Legislative'. Each is numbered as a sequence of its own.

Plates from the first sub-set do not bear any title beside 'Les représentans représentés' while plates from the second sub-set do feature the 'Assemblée Législative' title” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1910-0324-17).

Size: (sheet) 32.8 x 21.1 cm; (image borderline) 25.6 x 19.5 cm.

Lettered above the image borderline: (centre) “LES REPRÉSENTANS REPRÉSENTÉS.”; (right) “3.”

Inscribed in the stone within the image borderline: (lower left) “h.D”; (lower right [the number of the stone]) “1352”.

Lettered below the image borderline: (left) “Chez Aubert Pl. de la Bourse, 29.”; (centre) “SARRANS JEUNE./ Ceci nous représente le plus jeune de tous les Sarrans connus. —élève distingué de la classe du petit père/ Marrast, Sarrans jeune est de première force sur la géographie et sur toutes les affaires étrangères. Il est/ facheux seulement que Sarrans jeune ait un léger défaut, c'est un certain entêtement: lorsqu'on lui demande/ son nom il s'obstine toujours à dire qu'il s'appelle Sarrans june, on n'a jamais su pourquoi.” [SARRANS YOUNG. Here we can see the youngest of all known Sarrans.... an outstanding scholar from the class of the father Marrast [Armand Marrast (1801-1852)], little Sarrans, and the first in geography and foreign affairs. It is somewhat annoying that Sarrans has a tiny flaw: Every time one asks him for his name, he insists on being called Sarrans June... nobody really understands why this is so.]; (right) “Imp.Aubert & Cie.”

State ii (of ii) with the addition of publication details.

DR Number 1800 (Daumier Register cat. no. 1800 [https://www.daumier-register.org/werkview.php?key=1800])

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression trimmed with a small margin and laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. Beyond some marks towards the centre of the right edge, the sheet is in clean condition with no tears, holes or folds.

I am selling this fascinating caricature of a rebellious voice in French politics and later a key and important documenter of the February Revolution in France (1848) when this lithograph was executed—for AU$139 in total (currently US$93.53/ EUR84.39/GBP71.97 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$139) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this potent political caricature, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.