Un héros de juillet, Mai 1831
Original title: Un héros de juillet, Mai 1831, published in La Caricature
kurzbeschreibung
A figure stands with his back to the viewer, his coat plastered with pasted newspaper clippings: Honoré Daumier's colored lithograph from 1831 is titled "A Hero of July, May 1831" and appeared in the magazine La Caricature. This sheet is the second state of the print.
Description
Seen from behind, the figure wears a coat densely covered with newspaper articles in which names and titles of well-known personalities and events appear. A cane is held in the right hand, while the left drags a suitcase. A building with columns and a flag can be made out in the background. The coloring stays restrained, the layout clear, the tone caricatural.
Context
The print was made in 1831, just one year after the July Revolution, and published in the satirical magazine La Caricature. The figure is likely a parody of a revolutionary who adorns himself with newspaper clippings to appear a hero. This reflects the political situation and the criticism of the July Monarchy under Louis-Philippe.
Impact
Because the viewer sees only his back and the coat is patched with clippings, an ironic distance arises that exposes the man as a pure self-promoter. The clear linework and satirical undertone make the criticism immediately understandable without resorting to crude exaggeration.
Technique
The lithograph was first printed in black and white and then hand-colored; the present version is the second state. At 29.5 × 23.2 cm (sheet) and 21.5 × 18.5 cm (image), the execution is careful and detailed in lithographic technique.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)