Mr. Kératr

Count Auguste-Hilarion de Kératry (1769-1859) was something of a dandy; in addition to serving as a member of the Council of State, he wrote Salon reviews and was appointed president of the commission that surveyed the royal theaters. Daumier has expertly captured the ingratiating personality of this minor politician with a dreadful smile that reveals his horrible teeth and a slimy expression accented by bulging, half-closed eyes. Kératry's unctuous profile is also recognizable in the adjacent print Masks of 1831.