European Budgets, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"
Original title: European Budgets, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier takes aim at the huge military spending of European nations in this 1868 lithograph, 'European Budgets'. A tent bearing the words 'PAIX ARMEE' (armed peace) stands over fallen soldiers and money bags. Published in the magazine 'Le Charivari', the print is a satire on armament policy.
Description
A large tent lettered 'PAIX ARMEE' dominates the sheet. Before it lie two figures that read as dead soldiers, standing for the victims of armament policy. To the side of the tent, several bales marked with money signs are piled up, representing the state budgets of Europe. The drawing is plain and clear in monochrome, with shading built from hatched lines.
Context
Daumier made this sheet for the satirical journal 'Le Charivari', known for its political criticism. It appeared in October 1868, when the European powers were expanding their armies and spending heavily on armaments. The caricature attacks 'armed peace', which weighed on the population and on state coffers even in peacetime. The work shows Daumier's commitment against militarism and social ills under the Second Empire.
Impact
Plain in its symbolism and in the contrast between the tent of 'armed peace' and the dead soldiers, the lithograph makes its point at once. Money bags and corpses together expose the absurdity of armament spending. The caricatural style gives the criticism an accessible yet serious tone.
Technique
This lithograph on newsprint was printed in black and white. Fine lines and hatching create shadow and volume. It is the second state of two (Delteil), which points to reworking of the plate.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)