La Chinoise de Province et Son Magot – Napoleonic Period Caricature by Adrien Victor Auger

Handcolored Napoleonic period caricature entitled:  La Chinoise de Province et Son Magot,  ou le Bon Goût transplanté
Engraved in 1813 by Adrien Victor Auger, a student of David.

A beautiful Chinese woman, elegantly attired is accompanied by an overdressed gentleman – her “Magot.”  Magot, the french term for small seated buddha like porcelain figures from China which were very popular at the time, but also became an expression for anyone lazy, overweight or a bit dense.  The man is studying a theatre billboard for  “Les Deux Magots,” a play set in China by Charles-Augustin Bassompierre (known as Serwin) that opened in Paris at the Théâtre des Variétés on January 12, 1813.  It is the source of the name of the name of the famous literary cafe in Paris.

Dimensions:  42.5 x 27 cm  (plate)

Provenance: Library of the Chateau de Hauteville, Vevey