La Vie de Monsieur Quelconque (The Life of Mister Ordinary)

1894–95
Not on view
One of two series produced by Hermann-Paul under the ironic heading of "The Great Spectacles of Nature," the suite of ten prints follows the life cycle of the average bourgeois Frenchman in the last decade of the nineteenth century. Between birth and death, he falls in love twice; fulfills his patriotic and civic duties; is decorated and celebrated by his friends; enters public service to appear in official ceremonies; then falls ill. With this portfolio, Hermann-Paul established his reputation as a talented lithographer and biting satirist. Borrowing the language of the natural scientist, he mocks the customs and morals of his contemporaries with his caricatural style.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: La Vie de Monsieur Quelconque (The Life of Mister Ordinary)
  • Series/Portfolio: Les Grands Spectacles de la Nature: La Vie de Monsieur Quelconque
  • Artist: René-Georges Hermann-Paul (French, Paris 1874–1940 Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer)
  • Date: 1894–95
  • Medium: Lithograph
  • Dimensions: 16 15/16 × 12 3/8 in. (43 × 31.5 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: A. Hyatt Mayor Purchase Fund, Marjorie Phelps Starr Bequest, 2020
  • Object Number: 2020.325.1–.10
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.