An award winner in 1868, from "News of the day"
Original title: An award winner in 1868, from "News of the day"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph 'Ein Preisträger im Jahr 1868' (A Prize-Winner in 1868), dated 1 September 1868, belongs to the series 'Nachrichten des Tages' (News of the Day). It shows a woman in a robe bearing the word 'PAIX' (Peace), her gaze fixed on a weapon that protrudes into the image from above. The print is recorded as the second of two states.
Description
A woman in a long robe marked 'PAIX' leans toward a long-barreled rifle held into the picture by a hand from above. She stands on a raised platform resembling a podium. Behind her, the text and numbers of the news sheet remain visible. The reproduction stays black and white; the layout is clear, the figures sharply outlined, and the light falls evenly without strong shadows.
Context
The lithograph was made in 1868 as part of Daumier’s series 'Nachrichten des Tages', which offered satirical commentary on current events. The pairing of a woman labeled 'PAIX' (Peace) with a weapon points to the political tensions and peace efforts of those years. The sheet is documented as the second of two states and was printed on newsprint, as was customary for press publications. Its dimensions are 29.9 × 28.7 cm.
Impact
What strikes you first is the contrast between peace and weapon, delivered by the clear arrangement without detour. The caricatural, humorous tone blunts the political message and opens it to a wide audience. Because color is absent and everything is reduced to black and white, attention stays on the core of the motif.
Technique
The print was executed as a lithograph on newsprint, in the second of two states. Lithography allowed fine lines and precise detail, evident in the robe and the weapon. Printing on newsprint indicates a cheap production aimed at mass distribution.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)