← Honoré Daumier

The reactionary press, trying in vain to jam the wheels, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"

Original title: The reactionary press, trying in vain to jam the wheels, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

October 23, 1866

Medium

Lithograph and pen and brown ink on wove paper; second state of three, proof (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 10 1/16 × 8 3/16 in. (25.5 × 20.8 cm) Sheet: 12 1/2 × 10 3/16 in. (31.8 × 25.9 cm)

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1922

kurzbeschreibung

A woman in classical dress stands on a broken column stump, holding aloft a banner inscribed 'LIBERTÉ'. At her feet, a crippled man is chained to a wheel bearing the words 'INSURRECTION DE PALERME'. This allegorical caricature by Honoré Daumier dates from 1866 and is a lithograph with pen and brown ink on wove paper; it is the second state of three, a proof (Delteil).

Description

A female figure in antique garb, raising the 'LIBERTÉ' flag, stands on a fractured column fragment. Below, a crippled man struggles to turn a wheel labeled 'INSURRECTION DE PALERME', to which he is bound. Trees and sky form the backdrop. Rendered in black and white with even lighting, the print emphasizes the contours of the figures. The caricatural style employs exaggeration and satirical touches.

Context

The lithograph was published on October 23, 1866, in the satirical journal 'Le Charivari'. Daumier addresses the press's reaction to the 1866 Palermo uprising, a popular revolt against Bourbon rule in Sicily. The figure of Liberty and the blocked wheel reflect political tensions in Europe after Italian unification. The work survives as a proof in the second of three states, indicating careful handling by the artist.

Impact

A striking tension arises between the upright, powerful figure of Liberty and the crippled, struggling man, visually reinforcing the political message. The monochrome lithograph with its clear contours gives the image a timeless, almost monumental quality. It prompts the viewer to reflect on power and resistance.

Technique

Lithography combined with pen and brown ink on wove paper—a technique Daumier often used for fine corrections and accents. The lithograph allows soft tonal gradations and precise lines, while the ink adds further detail and depth. The proof in the second state documents Daumier's working method of gradually refining his compositions.

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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)