Une péroraison à la Démosthène, plate 33 from Les Gens de Justice
Original title: "Une péroraison à la Démosthène," plate 33 from Les Gens de Justice
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'Une péroraison à la Démosthène' from 1 November 1847 presents an orator whose grand gesture evokes the ancient Demosthenes. Part of the series 'Les Gens de Justice', the print lampoons the rhetoric of the legal system.
Description
A figure in a long coat and cap throws up a hand and delivers a speech; his performance dominates the layout. Around him stand listeners in jackets and caps, their eyes fixed on the speaker. The arrangement feels animated, drawing attention to the orator and his audience's reactions. The lithograph remains monochrome, with strong contours and graduated shading that models the light.
Context
Between 1845 and 1848, Daumier worked on 'Les Gens de Justice', a critical examination of the French justice system. The lithographs were published in the satirical journal 'Le Charivari'. The reference to Demosthenes pushes the ironic elevation of legal eloquence in contemporary France to its extreme.
Impact
The exaggeratedly pathetic gesture of speech, reminiscent of ancient models but merely vain in the court setting, creates the print's satirical edge. The animated layout and closely observed expressions of the listeners sharpen the ironic critique of lawyers' self-presentation.
Technique
The print was produced by stone lithography; Daumier drew with chalk on the stone. This allowed soft shading alongside strong contours, which carry his distinctive expressiveness. The dimensions are 35.6 × 43.2 cm.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)