Introduction

Abstract Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in the history of political caricature. While cartoons continue to enliven the pages of general histories, where they are too often presented rather uncritically as limpid reflections of popular feeling towards the events or personalities lampooned, specialists in political culture have begun to treat caricature in a much more sophisticated manner. Scholars have analysed the nature of the genre and its place in the political process, focusing less on caricature’s descriptive or illustrative function than on its prescriptive role in the creation of political imagery and the formation of public opinion.’ To be effective, such studies must be grounded upon a firm knowledge of the identity and motivation of both artist and audience. This study is an attempt to lay the foundations for an appreciation of the place of caricature in the political culture of the July Monarchy, by assessing the means by which it was produced and distributed, the manner in which caricaturists responded to current events, the nature and scope of their public, and the relationship between caricature and other forms of contemporary political-cultural discourse.