An Uncomfortable Situation, from 'News of the Day,' published in Le Charivari, June 5, 1866
Original title: An uncomfortable situation, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, June 5, 1866
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier made this lithograph in 1866 as part of the series 'News of the Day'. It presents two figures acting over a third lying on the ground. This impression is the third of three states.
Description
Two actors face each other in violent motion: on the left, a human figure with an animal head points a staff at the opponent. On the right, a person in uniform-like clothing reacts defensively. Below them lies another figure, labeled 'HOLSTEIN'. Black and white, with lines and contours suggesting light and dark. The caricatural features are deliberately exaggerated to sharpen the situation.
Context
The print was published on June 5, 1866, in the satirical magazine Le Charivari. Daumier thus took up the political tensions before the German War, when Prussia and Austria vied for supremacy in Schleswig-Holstein. The figure 'Holstein' stands for the contested duchy, which was divided between the powers in 1866.
Impact
The exaggerated figures and the unclear threat create a mood between comedy and unease. The dynamism of the postures conveys an approaching conflict, which the satirical refraction softens.
Technique
Lithograph on newsprint, a common process for caricatures in the 19th century. Daumier used chalk lithography to achieve fine shading and strong contours. The print is the third of three states, suggesting the plate was reworked.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)