New security measures, from 'On the train,' published in Le Charivari, September 1, 1864
Original title: New security measures, from 'On the train,' published in Le Charivari, September 1, 1864
kurzbeschreibung
Daumier's lithograph 'New Security Measures' appeared in Le Charivari on September 1, 1864, as part of his series 'In the Train.' The print presents a satirical station scene in which passengers are equipped with firearms. It was printed on newsprint, and the surviving impression is the second of two states as described by Delteil.
Description
At the ticket window stands a gentleman in a top hat and coat, holding a slip or card; on the counter before him lies a pistol. Behind him, other men in top hats queue up. A barred window and a sign reading 'PRIX DU 30 JUILLET' close off the back. Beneath the image runs the line: 'Chaque voyageur de première classe ayant droit en prenant son billet à une paire de pistolets.'
Context
Daumier drew regularly for the satirical journal Le Charivari, where he exercised political and social criticism. His series 'In the Train' took up the then still novel experience of railway travel, which brought with it a good deal of unease. The caricature picks up on fears of train robberies and alludes to security measures that included the distribution of weapons.
Impact
The exaggeration makes the print both comic and ironic. The calm routine at the ticket counter is in tension with the absurdity of travelers receiving pistols there — that is the satirical core.
Technique
Drawn with greasy chalk on the stone and then printed, the lithograph displays its characteristic line work: bold contours, dense hatching for shadows, and graduated tones on the light newsprint. This paper points to mass distribution in Le Charivari. The present impression is the second state, as recorded in the Delteil catalogue raisonné.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)