Jehan Georges Vibert (1840-1902) was a French Academic artist in style, but a satirist at heart. Vibert was trained at the Ecole des Beaux Arts and a decorated hero of the Franco-Prussian War. After the war, he became an aficionado of the stage and wrote several successful comedies. Through words and pictures, he lampooned the leading figures of French society, particularly the Catholic Church. Among his favorite targets were cardinals, which is the focus of my selections.
The Diet is my favorite. A plump cardinal has separated himself from an elegant dinner party, which has now begun the dessert course. He dips a meager ladyfinger in milk and looks mournfully up at the Lord, as though to express confusion at this divinely-wrought punishment.
Scramble for Lunch depicts a monk and a cardinal sharing a picnic. A dispute over who shall eat what has resulted in a brawl.
The Marvelous Sauce. Here, a cardinal educates the resident cook on the proper way to prepare his food.
1 comment:
this hangs in the Albright Knox in Buffalo ny
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