← Honoré Daumier

Not reassuring for the crowns!

Original title: Not reassuring for the crowns!, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, January 11, 1869

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

January 11, 1869

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 5/8 × 8 13/16 in. (24.4 × 22.4 cm) Sheet: 11 7/16 × 11 9/16 in. (29.1 × 29.4 cm)

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1948

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier's lithograph "Kein Trost für die Kronen!" (No Comfort for the Crowns!) is dated January 11, 1869, and appeared in the satirical journal Le Charivari. It sets a human figure against a bird figure, each armed with a weapon or staff, in a cartoonish face-off. The sheet is a lithograph on newsprint and represents the second of two states.

Description

The layout is lopsided by design. On the left, a human figure gestures restlessly, clutching a staff or weapon; on the right, a bird figure strides forward with a weapon of its own. Other birds drift through the air around them, adding to the sense of commotion. Varying densities of hatching build the light and dark contrasts of this black-and-white print. Exaggerated features and gestures, typical of caricature, sharpen the exchange between the two.

Context

Daumier drew this lithograph for the satirical daily Le Charivari, where he regularly commented on politics and society. It came out on January 11, 1869, at a time of political tension in France under Napoleon III. The title hints at a threat to monarchical rule, perhaps against a backdrop of revolutionary stirrings or international conflict. Daumier was known for pointed caricatures that often took aim at those in power.

Impact

The two figures face each other head-on, and that confrontation pulls the viewer straight into the action. Exaggerated gestures and restless linework give the sheet a tone that is comic and menacing at once. The stark black and white heightens the force of the caricature.

Technique

Drawn with greasy chalk on a stone and then printed on newsprint, the lithographic process allows the fine lines and crisp contours that stand out clearly on this sheet. According to Delteil's catalogue raisonné, this is the second of two printing states.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)