A blank newspaper, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, March 31, 1868
Original title: A blank newspaper, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, March 31, 1868
kurzbeschreibung
A grinning man hoists an oversized sheet of paper bearing the words 'LA VIE PRIVÉE.' Honoré Daumier drew this lithograph in 1868 for the satirical journal Le Charivari, where it appeared on March 31 as part of the series 'News of the Day.' The sheet was printed on newsprint, and the surviving impression is the second of three states.
Description
A broad grin, an oversized sheet: one figure holds up the paper reading 'LA VIE PRIVÉE,' while the other hand grips a staff or arrow. A cap sits on his head. The plain dark ground pushes both figure and paper forward. Black and white, pared down to a few elements, the arrangement steers the eye straight to the expression and the lettering.
Context
Daumier published this lithograph in 1868 in Le Charivari, the Parisian satirical paper he worked for regularly. It belongs to the series 'News of the Day,' which took aim at events in the news. The words 'LA VIE PRIVÉE' nod to the debate over privacy at the time, curtailed under Napoleon III by press laws. The print thus takes up censorship and the emptiness of official news.
Impact
The exaggerated expression and the figure's central placement set a humorous, ironic tone. With nearly all accessories stripped away, the satirical point stands out clearly. The dark ground sets up a contrast that stresses the figure and the sheet, sharpening the message further.
Technique
Daumier drew with greasy crayon on a limestone, and the image was then reproduced by planographic printing. Printing on newsprint matches publication in a journal. The second of three states is named because Daumier reworked the printing plate between editions.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)