← Honoré Daumier

Time too feels the urge for modern equipment, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, January 10, 1867 (January 10, 1867, Met-Objekt 3450)

Original title: Time too feels the urge for modern equipment, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, January 10, 1867

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

January 10, 1867

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 10 7/16 × 8 3/8 in. (26.5 × 21.3 cm) Sheet: 11 5/8 × 11 9/16 in. (29.5 × 29.4 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1962

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph in 1867, giving Father Time a wry starring role. It belongs to the series 'News of the day' and appeared in the journal Le Charivari. This is the second state of two (Delteil).

Description

A bearded figure with long white hair, an emblem of Time, stands in a robe and holds an arrow and its tip. From behind, an angel with outspread wings wraps around him, while clouds suggest the sky. At the bottom appear the initials 'A.D.' and the year '67', pointing to the artist and the year of creation.

Context

Daumier drew this sheet in 1867 for the satirical journal Le Charivari, where he regularly published political and social commentary—a period of technological progress and industrialization in France. The series 'News of the day' took up current events and everyday situations with a satirical edge.

Impact

At first the viewer notices the angel nestling protectively against the old figure, then follows the figure's gaze into emptiness. A humorous contrast between tradition and progress emerges. The clear drawing and calm layout convey a reflective mood.

Technique

For his satirical prints Daumier often used lithography on newsprint. The second state of the plate shows careful reworking, with figures and clouds rendered in detail.

AI-generated description text

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