← Honoré Daumier

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

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, pen and brown ink, and graphite on newsprint; second state of two, proof (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 5/8 × 8 13/16 in. (24.4 × 22.4 cm) Sheet: 14 3/4 × 11 1/4 in. (37.4 × 28.5 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1956

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph in 1869, reworking the print with pen and graphite on newsprint. It belongs to his series "News of the day" for the magazine Le Charivari and stages a satirical duel between two grotesque figures.

Description

Two figures face off in a furious duel, staffs or weapons raised. Their faces are contorted and grotesque, and their headgear suggests crowns. Above them several crown-like objects dart through the air, setting the picture in motion. The layout is symmetrical, the contours are strong and the black-and-white contrast is harsh. The figures appear to be shouting, which gives the sheet an expressive and comic edge.

Context

This caricature appeared in the satirical newspaper Le Charivari on 11 January 1869. It belongs to Daumier's series "News of the day", in which he commented on the political and social events of his time. The print was made during a period of political tension in France, shortly before the fall of the Second Empire. The motif alludes to the precariousness of monarchical claims to power without tying itself to any single event.

Impact

The grotesque exaggerations and the symmetrical arrangement are instantly memorable. The flying crowns and shouting figures create a tension between menace and comedy that carries the satirical tone. In this way the viewer's attention is drawn to the absurdity and fragility of power.

Technique

This is a lithograph in the second state of two, printed as a proof. Daumier worked over the print with pen and brown ink and with graphite on newsprint, sharpening contours and emphasizing details. Lithography allows fine gradations of tone and a precise rendering of the expressive linework characteristic of Daumier's satirical work.

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