Masks of 1831, published in La Caricature
Original title: Masks of 1831, published in La Caricature
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'Masken von 1831', created on March 8, 1832, brings together fifteen caricatured faces. The print was published in the satirical journal La Caricature and is executed in shades of gray.
Description
Fifteen idiosyncratic, exaggerated physiognomies are arranged symmetrically in three rows. Each face appears stylized and displays an exaggerated emotion or facial shape. Kept monochrome in gray tones, even lighting without visible shadows ensures clarity. The flat layout underscores the humorous distortion of the figures.
Context
Daumier made this print for the French satirical magazine La Caricature, which appeared between 1830 and 1835 and was famous for its political and social caricatures. It falls in the period of the July Monarchy (1830–1848) under King Louis-Philippe, an era of intense censorship and political tension. The lithograph served Daumier as a means to satirically capture personalities and types of his time.
Impact
The exaggerated faces seem comic and critical at once; they coax a smile from the viewer. Through the symmetrical arrangement and monochrome coloring, the print gains a calm but emphatic presence.
Technique
As a lithograph, the work uses planographic printing, in which a fatty chalk is drawn on stone. Daumier employed this technique to achieve fine lines and gradations in gray tones, making the caricatures stand out clearly.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)