A European concert: Not allowed to participate in this part, from "News of the day"
Original title: A European concert: Not allowed to participate in this part, from "News of the day"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'A European Concert' from 1867 shows a soldier seated on a gun carriage while musicians with wind instruments perform behind him. The print belongs to the 'Actualités' series and exists as a lithograph on newsprint in the second of two states.
Description
In the foreground a barefoot soldier in uniform and helmet squats on a gun carriage, arms folded. Behind him a group of people play trumpet and trombone, some of them in uniform. The mood feels festive and high-spirited, yet remains in Daumier's caricatural style. The title 'CONCERT EUROPÉEN' and the caption 'Il n'est pas de cette partie-là.' are part of the image.
Context
The print was made in 1867, the year of the Paris World's Fair, where European powers displayed their military strength. Daumier published it in the 'Actualités' series in the satirical journal 'Le Charivari'. The caricature targets European politics, in which smaller nations or actors were excluded from the negotiations of the great powers.
Impact
The viewer's gaze is drawn first to the solitary seated soldier, then to the music-making activity behind him. Military symbolism and musical festivity meet and create an ironic tension. The off-to-the-side figure gives the image a melancholy note that breaks through Daumier's humorous style. Thus the caricature prompts reflection on exclusion and power relations.
Technique
Daumier used lithography on newsprint, a medium typical of his satirical work. The present impression is the second state of two (Delteil), indicating that the plate was reworked. Precise lines and hatching attest to his drawing technique, which was adapted for reproduction in newspapers.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)