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Why was Louis-Philippe portrayed as a pear in French political cartoons?

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Arthur, Chester A. — caricature and cartoon Cartoon depicting U.S. Pres. Chester A. Arthur suffering from his dealings with factions within the Republican Party, 1882.

The portrayal of King Louis-Philippe as a pear was a celebrated invention of the French caricaturist and journalist Charles Philipon.1

The image originated from a drawing that depicted the king’s face gradually transforming into the shape of a pear. This caricature was highly effective because it functioned as both a visual and a verbal pun. In French, the word for pear, poire, also carries the slang meaning of a "simpleton" or "fathead," making it a potent tool for political satire.12

Following its debut in Philipon’s journal La Caricature, the pear became a widely recognized symbol for the king. Philipon’s team of talented artists, including Honoré Daumier, frequently utilized this motif to mock the monarch. The symbol became so pervasive that it served as a persistent form of political protest, even as the government attempted to suppress personal caricature through censorship.12