In Clichy: wondering if the repeal of the sentence will be quickly ratified, to allow him to see the exhibition, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, June 18, 1867
Original title: In Clichy: wondering if the repeal of the sentence will be quickly ratified, to allow him to see the exhibition, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, June 18, 1867
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier made this lithograph in June 1867, showing a prisoner at the Clichy jail peering out through a barred window. It belongs to his 'News of the day' series and appeared in the newspaper Le Charivari, printed in shades of grey on newsprint.
Description
A prisoner leans toward a narrow, iron-barred window to look outside. He wears plain clothes, and his hair and beard are white and thick. There is something pensive and uneasy in the way he holds himself. The cell around him is gloomy and barely lit; behind the figure, blurred shapes hint at further cells. Everything draws the eye to the man while the background stays vague.
Context
Daumier published this caricature in the satirical journal Le Charivari on 18 June 1867. It belongs to the 'Actualités' series, which took aim at the events of the day. The title refers to the Clichy prison, where debtors were held, and to the inmate's hope of being allowed to visit an exhibition — most likely the Paris World's Fair of 1867.
Impact
The bare, dark lighting and the cramped view through bars create an oppressive mood. The figure's thoughtful pose stirs sympathy and makes the subject of confinement tangible.
Technique
Executed as a lithograph on newsprint, the sheet survives in the second of two states. The grey tones come from lithographic ink applied to the stone and then transferred to paper. Crisp outlines and graded shadows are characteristic of Daumier's printmaking.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)