Pre-WWI French Satire
Before Charlie Hebdo, there was L’Assiette au Beurre.
While browsing a tiny vintage shop in the 7th arrondissement in Paris, I found this magazine dated December 17, 1904, and titled, L’Assiette au Beurre. It was bursting with loose, expressive, caricatures that are clearly politically-minded. Some quick research provides an interesting back-story. The following is the ROUGH Google translation of the Wikipedia article about L’Assiette au Beurre.
“L’Assiette au Beurre is a French satirical illustrated weekly newspaper open to designers and sensitive to the socialist and anarchist ideas. The first series ran from April 4, 1901 to October 15, 1912 and the title was taken, on a monthly basis between 1921 and 1925. L’ Assiette au Beurre differs from most other humorous magazine in its composition. Each issue includes mainly cartoons and caricatures in two-three colors and full (or double) page spreads with a minimum of 16 illustrated pages. Sometimes an artist is entrusted with the implementation of a number of illustrations on a specific topic, making each delivery a real album.”
This journal shaped the ideologies of left-wing bohemia of Paris in the pre-WWI era, and gave some amazing artists their start. The artist of this issue was listed as Georges d’ Ostoya. Other L’Assiette au Beurre artists were Juan Gris, Alexandre Steinlen and Bernard Naudin.
As we reflect on the Charlie Hebdo tragedy, let us also celebrate the long tradition of French satire that boldly challenges the status quo through art.
