Le Cauchemar (The Nightmare)
Original title: Le Cauchemar (The Nightmare), published in "La Caricature"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier published the lithograph "Der Albtraum" (The Nightmare) on 23 February 1832 in the satirical journal La Caricature. The print shows a man in bed tormented by a nightmare and measures 23.3 × 29.4 cm in the image. It belongs among Daumier's political caricatures of those years.
Description
A man lies in bed in the foreground, legs thrust upward, his face contorted with fear and marked by a bead of sweat; he wears a shirt and trousers. On the floor before him lies a torn paper bearing the words "Programme de la ville". On the wall behind hangs a framed picture showing two figures dressed as soldiers with rifles. The layout is asymmetrical, the background figures smaller than the sleeper, and the palette remains monochrome in shades of grey.
Context
Daumier drew the lithograph for La Caricature, a journal published in Paris from 1830 to 1835 that took a critical view of the July Monarchy. The print appeared in February 1832, during a period of political unrest following the July Revolution of 1830. The nightmare can be read as a comment on the political anxieties of the bourgeoisie. Daumier was known for his caricatures against King Louis-Philippe and the government.
Impact
The exaggerated posture and the man's fearful expression provoke both amusement and unease in the viewer. The monochrome greys and the caricatural distortion sharpen the satirical tone. An ironic tension arises between the calm bedroom scene and the threatening image on the wall.
Technique
The print was made as a lithograph, a planographic process in which a fatty crayon is drawn on a limestone block. The reproduction stays in shades of grey, as was typical for the printmaking of the period. Fine hatching and graduated contrasts demonstrate Daumier's sure handling of lithography, which allowed quick and precise editions for satirical sheets.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)