← Honoré Daumier

New Year's gifts for 1867, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, December 27, 1866

Original title: New Year's gifts for 1867, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, December 27, 1866

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

December 27, 1866

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; third state of three (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 1/2 × 8 7/16 in. (24.2 × 21.5 cm) Sheet: 11 9/16 × 11 7/16 in. (29.3 × 29.1 cm)

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1948

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier published this lithograph on 27 December 1866 as part of his 'News of the day' series in Le Charivari. It shows a woman in a dress bearing the inscription '1867', wearing a mask and brandishing a sword against a procession of tents. The print is a political caricature in black and white on newsprint, third state of three (Delteil).

Description

A woman dominates the sheet, her dress marked with the year '1867'. In her right hand she wields a sword, poised to strike a cluster of tents outlined in the distance. A mask covers her face, and her stance is resolute. Behind her, other figures move through a river or lake. Everything remains in black and white; above the image run the headline 'ACTUALITÉS' and the number '242', below it the text 'Etrennes pour 1867'.

Context

The print appeared on 27 December 1866 in the satirical newspaper Le Charivari, for which Daumier regularly drew political and social caricatures. It belongs to the 'News of the day' series and responds to the political events of 1866, above all Prussia's successes in the German War. The mask and sword point to military developments that were seen as a threat to France's neighbours. The New Year's theme served Daumier as an occasion for an ironic reckoning with the year past.

Impact

The masked woman with raised sword and the vague menace behind her create an unsettling mood. The year on her dress and the warlike gesture together convey a critical view of political developments. Because the print is restricted to black and white and the lines are clearly drawn, the viewer's attention is directed to the central figure and her symbolic message.

Technique

The sheet was printed as a lithograph on newsprint, a process typical of Daumier that allowed quick and inexpensive printing. The designation third state of three indicates several revisions of the printing plate. Fine hatching and deliberate contrasts bring out shadows and details of the scene.

AI-generated description text

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