Mi Carême Grande Défilé

Georges Villa

This appears to be an illustration of the Mid-Lent Grand Procession of the Paris Carnaval of 1903. Specifically, a portion of the procession that features artists, shown in caricatures drawn in pencil by Villa. In the center of the image is a banner held aloft on a pole, reading "Mi Careme Grand Defile des Artistes en Peintres," possibly referring to one of the carnival societies featured in the procession. This may have been done for publication in a periodical such as Le Figaro.

Reaching its height in popularity in the 19th and very early 20th centuries, the Mid Lent Parade was part of a months-long series of celebrations surrounding the restrictive observances of Lent, similar to Mardi Gras, featuring floats and performances by various carnival societies. The Carnaval was drawn by serveral noted illustrators and cartoonists, including Honore Daumier, Gustave Dore, and Cham, among others.