An experience with equilibrium, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"
Original title: An experience with equilibrium, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's 1868 lithograph pokes fun at Europe's state budgets: two pans heaped with balls marked "1000000000" lay bare the precarious balance of national finances. The sheet belongs to his series "News of the day" and appeared in Le Charivari.
Description
A set of scales dominates the print, the beam's center line marking the point of equilibrium. On the left the balls pile into a pyramid; on the right only a few lie scattered, every one stamped with the number "1000000000". The lettering "BUDGETS EUROPEENS" anchors the picture in the political debate of its day. Neat and nearly symmetrical, the arrangement draws the eye straight to the two pans.
Context
Daumier made this lithograph on February 20, 1868, for the satirical journal Le Charivari, where his series "News of the day" ran. At issue are the state budgets of Europe and their shaky finances in the second half of the nineteenth century, against a backdrop of contemporary wrangling over debt and deficits. Daumier published such political and social satires in the paper regularly.
Impact
Plain symbols and the inflated figures make the sheet legible at a glance. The scales, an emblem of balance, set up an ironic contrast, since the sums look frankly unreal. The image nudges the viewer to think about the absurdity of financial imbalance.
Technique
Daumier worked in lithography on newsprint, a medium characteristic of him. This impression is the second state of two (Delteil), which points to later reworking of the printing plate. The process allowed both fine lines and fast production, ideal for daily satirical journalism.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)