Ireland and Jamaica: Patience!, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari
Original title: Ireland and Jamaica: Patience!, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'Irland und Jamaika: Geduld!' appeared on 11 April 1866 in the series 'News of the day' in the journal 'Le Charivari'. The print presents three figures drawn in exaggerated caricature and survives in the second of two states (Delteil).
Description
Three figures are rendered in a loose, caricatural hand. A strikingly gaunt, sickly-looking person stands at the centre while a second figure whispers something into their ear. A third figure, stick in hand, watches what unfolds. Shading comes from line hatching of varying density, light falls evenly across the sheet, and the arrangement draws the eye to the central figure.
Context
Daumier made the lithograph for the satirical newspaper 'Le Charivari', where he regularly published political and social commentary. 1866 was a year of political tension in Europe and of social unrest in Ireland and Jamaica. Here Daumier presumably took up British colonial policy and the hardship of the Irish population. The series 'News of the day' commented on current events with biting humour.
Impact
The sheet prompts a mixture of pity and irony, since the sickly main figure stands in contrast to those around them. Exaggerated features and plain linework give the image an immediate, insistent force. Viewers are moved to reflect on the injustice portrayed.
Technique
Daumier used lithography on wove paper: the drawing is applied with greasy chalk to a stone and then printed. The monochrome rendering relies on varying line density to create contrasts of light and dark. This impression is the second state, meaning further corrections were made to the stone after the first printing.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)