Miss Dada Menken
1867
French caricaturist André Gill captures the scandalous fame of Adah Isaacs Menken in this bizarre and delightful print, likely created for a Parisian journal. Known for riding a horse nearly nude in her hit show Mazeppa, Menken is shown here with a giant, wide-eyed head as a black horse—dapperly dressed in a suit and bow tie—leans in for a romantic kiss against a massive red heart. It's a surreal, cheeky nod to her most controversial role, turning a stage spectacle into a strange romance. Gill was the master of exaggeration in the 1860s, and this piece perfectly shows how he turned celebrities into unforgettable, slightly ridiculous icons.
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