Le Désespoir des Bouchers (November 21, 1857, Met-Objekt 3085)
Original title: Le Désespoir des Bouchers, from Actualités, published in Le Charivari, November 21, 1857
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier published this lithograph on 21 November 1857 in the satirical magazine Le Charivari. It belongs to his Actualités series and presents a scene in a meat storage: a man with a raised knife looks anxiously at another who lies exhausted on a table. The sheet is one of Daumier's satirical caricatures.
Description
A man in an apron stands at the centre, holding a large knife and looking toward a reclining figure on the right. This figure presses a hand to his forehead, his expression downcast. Several pieces of meat hang from hooks behind them, suggesting the setting of a slaughterhouse. The lithograph is monochrome in black and white; subdued light picks out the figures and heightens the dramatic mood. The style is caricatural and satirical, typical of Daumier's newspaper illustrations.
Context
Daumier made the print for the daily newspaper Le Charivari, where his Actualités series regularly commented on political and social issues. Its publication falls in the period of the Second Empire under Napoleon III, when press freedom was restricted and caricatures often served as a means of veiled criticism. The motif of the butchers may allude to contemporary debates about meat prices or social grievances. The lithograph appeared in three print states; this third state is catalogued after Delteil.
Impact
High-contrast lighting and expressive postures create an immediate emotional tension. The blend of comedy and seriousness invites the viewer to reflect on the social message. Daumier's line conveys a raw, immediate liveliness that is typical of his satirical work.
Technique
Lithography on newsprint: drawn with greasy chalk on a stone and then printed. This process allowed quick and inexpensive editions and was therefore ideal for publication in a daily newspaper. The print state is the third of three (after Delteil), indicating later revisions of the plate. The sheet measures 26.3 × 32.5 cm, the image area 20.4 × 24.4 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)