To think that one would have been able to build a dozen primary schools with the stone of all these pedestals, from "News of the Day"
Original title: To think that one would have been able to build a dozen primary schools with the stone of all these pedestals, from "News of the Day"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier takes aim at the squandering of public funds on monuments in this 1867 lithograph. A figure with a spade stands on a rise, looking over a row of inscribed pedestals. Printed on newsprint, the sheet belongs to the series 'Nachrichten des Tages' (News of the Day) and pairs biting satire with terse imagery.
Description
In the foreground, a figure dressed as a court jester holds a spade. His gaze is fixed on several pedestals that step up a hill, bearing names such as 'Ball Chard,' 'A. Rigo,' and 'A. Lartempon.' Black and white dominate the image; contours are clear and details pointed—altogether in the manner of Daumier's caricatures.
Context
The print appeared in France in October 1867, when public debate was raging over the cost of monuments and the funding of schools. Daumier published it in the journal 'Le Charivari' within the series 'Actualités.' The caricature protests that the government puts monuments before education. It is a prime example of Daumier's political and social satire.
Impact
The court jester as observer creates ironic distance and exposes the absurdity of the situation. Pedestals and spade stand in opposition, making the waste of resources palpable. Clean lines and the restriction to black and white give the sheet an immediate, memorable impact.
Technique
For his satirical prints, Daumier used lithography on newsprint. This process allowed fine lines and rapid reproduction for the mass press. The black-and-white execution matches the conventions of nineteenth-century newspaper illustration.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)