← Honoré Daumier

First prize for growth – Prussia: Note: the prize winner is a bit deformed, from "News of the day"

Original title: First prize for growth – Prussia: Note: the prize winner is a bit deformed, from "News of the day"

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

August 13, 1867

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; third state of three (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 7/16 × 8 11/16 in. (24 × 22 cm) Sheet: 11 1/8 × 11 1/2 in. (28.2 × 29.2 cm)

Credit line

Bequest of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1957

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier's lithograph from 1867 stages a satirical prize-giving: Prussia, conceived as a female figure, is awarded for its growth. The print belongs to the series 'Nachrichten des Tages' and was published on 13 August 1867. It was printed lithographically on newsprint; this is the third state of three (Delteil).

Description

On the left sits a figure labeled 'PRUSSE' in robes. Opposite her, on the right, another figure enthroned on a pedestal looks imperious and places a kind of crown or helmet on the honoree. Distant buildings and people are hinted at. Black and white predominates, as lithography dictates. Below run the lines 'PREMIER PRIX DE CROISSANCE - LA PRUSSE' and the note 'Nota - Un peu difforme la lauréate!'.

Context

The print emerged in the context of the 1867 Paris World's Fair, where Prussia displayed its industrial and military might. Daumier thus lampoons the rapid growth of power under Otto von Bismarck, which unsettled Europe. The word 'lauréate' echoes the then-common female personification of Prussia. The lithograph was published in the satirical journal 'Le Charivari', for which Daumier drew regularly.

Impact

By presenting Prussia's claim to power as a prize ceremony, the image creates an ironic distance from political events. The ceremonial gesture and the figure described as 'deformed' do not fit together; this undermines the seriousness of the subject. Thus the viewer is prompted to reflect on the ambivalence of growth and aggression.

Technique

Lithography, a common printing method of the time, allowed fast and inexpensive editions; here this shows in clear lines and strong contrasts. It was printed on newsprint, pointing to its use as a mass medium. The third state (of three) represents the final version, in which the drawing is worked out cleanly and with strong contrast.

AI-generated description text

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