At last, they are finally going to take care of us!
Original title: At last, they are finally going to take care of us!, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, January 25, 1869
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike most political caricatures of its time, this lithograph thrives on an absurd transformation: two gigantic figures whose bodies are made of pens clash with each other. Honoré Daumier created the print in 1869 for the series 'Actualités'; it appeared on January 25, 1869, in the satirical magazine 'Le Charivari'.
Description
Two larger-than-life characters, formed from pens, confront each other in a fighting stance; one of them holds a bell-shaped object. At the left edge of the background, several smaller figures watch the action. Wavy lines suggest a coast or a beach. Along the bottom margin of the sheet runs the text 'Enfin ! on va donc recommencer à s'occuper de nous !'.
Context
The print belongs to the 'Actualités' series and was published on January 25, 1869, in 'Le Charivari'. With such lithographs, Daumier regularly took up day-to-day politics and social conflicts. The dating falls in the late years of the Second Empire under Napoleon III, a phase of growing tensions and social unrest. The caption likely alludes to the government's neglect of the population.
Impact
The oversized pen figures give the sheet a grotesque and surreal quality; the political situation is thereby distorted into the absurd. Humorous visual language and sharp satire combine in a way that prompts detached reflection rather than loud amusement.
Technique
Executed as a lithograph on newsprint, the work is in the second of two states (Delteil). The planographic process allowed fine lines and rapid reproduction, which was crucial for publication in a daily newspaper. Daumier used it to comment on current events quickly and pointedly in images.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)