DAUMIER, H. - Robert-Macaire renait de ses cendres. Par ma foi! La compagnie…(Plate 21)

Second state. Translation in English of text title: Robert Macaire rising from his ashes. By heavens! The company is unlucky! . . . Yesterday I insured my super-glue plant and my flint-lock factory, I had only just sorted things out with you, when fire broke out in four places. Everything's burnt, dissolved, completely cooked. I could only manage to save the sign and my insurance policy. I've lost one hundred thousand three hundred francs, fifty one centimes, which you're now going to repay me. . . What a terrible tragedy!!
Again Daumier is aiming at Girardin who had been offering mining shares to the public. The entire project was a scam and all participants, with the exception of Girardin, were sent to prison.
Caricaturana is a series consisting of 100 numbered lithographs, which appeared in the Charivari between August 20, 1836 and November 25, 1838. All 100 prints of the series „Caricaturana“ were published sur blanc as an album under the title "Les Robert Macaires" in 1838 and offered to collectors. The black and white album cost 45 francs, while the colored version was offered at 55 francs.
Published by Bauger, rue du Croissant 16 (lower left). Printed by Imprimeurs d'Aubert & Cie at Aubert, Place de la Bourse.
Philipon was the author of all the texts of this series. It should be noted that Daumier did not monogram or sign the prints, presumable because Philipon wanted to document his position as author of the texts and as “inventor” of the series.
After the September laws it was impossible for Daumier to draw political caricatures. A solution had to be found how the system of the “Juste Milieu” could be attacked without getting political about it. The Robert-Macaire series was the answer. Macaire personified the clever business man, who was willing at any time to throw moral and ethical principles overboard for a quick buck. His personality fitted exactly to the period so well described by Alexis de Tocqueville: self-enrichment at all levels and a Government run on shareholders principles. Short-selling, pyramid systems, investments in Californian gold mines and IPOs of non existent companies were the name of the game. Thanks to Macaire and Bertrand, all the little tricks were demonstrated in detail to the public.
Robert Macaire may seem to be a realistic figure, however one should remember that in reality he is an artificial personality, created in 1823 by Benjamin Antier for his play „ L’Auberge des Adrets“. The breakthrough came in 1834, when Frédéric Lemaitre used the names of Macaire and his somewhat simple partner Serres-Bertrand for his various comedies in Paris. The figure of Macaire goes back as far as 1371, when - as the legend goes - Aubri de Montdidier, a nobleman from the court of Charles V was assassinated by Macaire. The murder was vindicated by his dog, the only witness of the assassination. A duel between the dog and Macaire, who was armed with a cudgel, should settle the case. The dog killed Macaire, who confessed the murder before he died.