J. J. Grandville

Grandville discovered his aptitude for using animals as a vehicle for social commentary. In the early days of Charivari, the leading satirical newspaper in Paris, he contributed hundreds of illustrations. When the journal was suppressed by King Louis-Philippe, the artist turned away from newspaper cartoons and focused on book illustrations, expanding his cast of animal actors.
This drawing is a preparatory study for a lithograph in Charivari, published on 25 February 1833, no. 90. In the shop of a dog-butcher, a young rabbit, whose drum and sticks are cast aside, is seated in the butcher's lap, squirming to get free of his grasp. Grandville has captioned the drawing "dis donc, enfant de chien / est que t'as peur de ton pere / embrasse moi” (tell me, son of a dog / are you afraid of your father / kiss me). The caption was revised for the printed edition, where it reads: “Dis donc enfant de chien est-ce que tu ne veux pas embrasser ton père ?” (Tell me, son of a dog, why don't you want to kiss your father?).