L'Assiette au Beurre, No. 385: La Barbe! - Édouard Berliard

A satirical magazine cover from 1908, featuring a bold lithographic caricature by Édouard Berliard for the French publication L'Assiette au Beurre.

This print is the cover of the French satirical weekly magazine L'Assiette au Beurre, dated 15 August 1908. The publication, founded in 1901, gained a reputation for its biting social commentary and its use of high-quality lithographic illustrations. Unlike many contemporary periodicals that relied on simple woodcuts, L'Assiette au Beurre commissioned artists to create full-page, often multi-coloured, lithographs that addressed political corruption, class inequality, and the absurdities of daily life in early twentieth-century France.

The cover, titled La Barbe!, features a caricature by Édouard Berliard. It depicts a man in a state of exasperation, his arms thrown wide in a gesture of utter fatigue or annoyance. The composition is typical of the period, utilising a bold, graphic style that prioritises clear lines and flat areas of colour. The figure is framed within a central box, surrounded by the magazine's masthead and the bold, hand-lettered typography that defined the publication's visual identity. The muted, earthy background provides a neutral stage for the stark black ink of the illustration, allowing the expressive posture of the subject to dominate the visual field.

L'Assiette au Beurre served as a platform for artists to experiment with the visual language of protest. By combining text and image in a cohesive design, the magazine influenced the development of modern graphic design and political poster art. This specific issue captures the irreverent spirit of the era, where the boundaries between fine art and mass-produced media were frequently blurred. The print offers a glimpse into the cultural climate of Paris before the First World War, reflecting the anxieties and frustrations of the urban populace through a lens of dark humour and stylistic boldness.