Hippolyte Mailly

Hippolyte Mailly was an artist whose documented professional activity spans a narrow period between 1857 and 1859. The surviving works attributed to Mailly consist exclusively of drawings specializing in the genre of caricature. This specialized output provides insight into the visual representation of contemporary public and literary figures during the mid-nineteenth century.

Five of Mailly’s drawings are represented in museum collections, confirming the artist’s contribution to the medium. This focused collection is entirely held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The works detail specific individuals, including Caricature of Charles Philipon, Caricature of Jules de Prémaray, and the portrait of the writer known as Caricature of Louis Marie de la Haye, Vicomte de Cormenin (alias Timon). Another notable subject is the drawing titled Caricature of Paul Meurice.

The detailed execution of these period drawings ensures their status as museum-quality artifacts, preserving the social satire of the era. As works created in the late 1850s, the drawings are typically considered part of the public domain, making Hippolyte Mailly prints and associated images potentially available as downloadable artwork for research and historical reference.