I am a bird, see my wings. I am a bat, long live the rats (La Fontaine), from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, March 24, 1869
Original title: I am a bird, see my wings. I am a bat, long live the rats (La Fontaine), from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, March 24, 1869
kurzbeschreibung
On March 24, 1869, Le Charivari published a lithograph by Honoré Daumier from his 'News of the Day' series. It shows a winged man at a ballot box and alludes to a line by Jean de La Fontaine. The print survives in the third of three states.
Description
A smiling gentleman in a suit, with powerful wings growing from his back, stands before a ballot box inscribed 'URNE ELECTORALE'. Beneath the figure runs the French sentence 'Je suis oiseau, voyez mes ailes. Je suis souris, vivent les rats'. A plain, flat landscape forms the backdrop; the layout is centered. Black and white predominate, and the light falls evenly, without strong shadows.
Context
Daumier released the lithograph in the satirical journal Le Charivari, where he often attacked political and social abuses. The quotation comes from La Fontaine's fable 'The Bat and the Two Weasels', which deals with double-dealing. The ballot box refers to the political situation in Second Empire France, where elections were manipulated and viewed with suspicion. Lithography served Daumier as the medium for his pointed commentaries.
Impact
Wings, ballot box, and fable quotation together create an ironic distance from political events. The tone is humorous but sharp, prompting reflection on opportunism. The clear layout and spare imagery strengthen the satirical message.
Technique
Executed as a lithograph on newsprint, a process typical of Daumier that allowed rapid and mass distribution. The third state represents the final version as it appeared in the newspaper. This technique permits fine lines and graduated gray tones that give the caricature its liveliness.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)