This item was originally posted in 2018. It is more apt than ever.
A mocking depiction of King Louis-Philippe as the Rabelais character Gargantua might as well be a caricature of Trump. He feeds on bundles of swag delivered by his obsequious minions and, from his outhouse throne, he shits out appointments, titles, and other rewards for the privileged class (and, in the latest Orange Man absurdity, for his in-laws). Not incidentally, Honoré Daumier went to prison for six months for this 1831 lithograph after its publication in a satirical illustrated periodical that appeared weekly in Paris, La Caricature morale, politique et littéraire. Hat’s off to my staff of thousands for reminding me of it.
