Henry Bonaventure Monnier

Henry Monnier was a great admirer of George Cruikshank and dedicated a lithographic album to him. Monnier invented the character Monsieur Prudhomme, whom he depicted frequently throughout his career. Prudhomme represented a certain kind of pompous, conservative, middle-class civil servant, the incarnation of the self-satisfied and respectable citizen, defender and creature of the established order of things. Monnier employed Prudhomme in order to act out and project many of the dissatisfactions and frustrations of his audience. Henry Monnier was a great admirer of George Cruikshank and dedicated a lithographic album to him. Monnier invented the character Monsieur Prudhomme, whom he depicted frequently throughout his career. Prudhomme represented a certain kind of pompous, conservative, middle-class civil servant, the incarnation of the self-satisfied and respectable citizen, defender and creature of the established order of things. Monnier employed Prudhomme in order to act out and project many of the dissatisfactions and frustrations of his audience.