And yet, the pole has been greased well, from 'News of the day,' published in 'Le Charivari'
Original title: And yet, the pole has been greased well, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"
kurzbeschreibung
Crowds cheer, hats thrust into the air, faces tilted toward a tall mast bearing the words 'LIBERTÉ' and 'SUFFRAGE UNIVERSEL'. One figure clings to the pole, struggling to climb. Honoré Daumier made this black-and-white lithograph in 1869 as part of the series 'News of the Day'.
Description
Raised hats, outstretched arms, upturned faces — the crowd's gaze follows the tall mast inscribed with 'LIBERTÉ' and 'SUFFRAGE UNIVERSEL'. A person hangs on the pole, apparently trying to climb it. The layout pulls the eye toward the center and toward the climbing figure. Caricatural touches run through the drawing: exaggerated gestures, distorted expressions.
Context
On September 15, 1869, the print appeared in the satirical newspaper 'Le Charivari', within the series 'News of the Day'. Daumier took up the political struggles over freedom and universal suffrage in late Second Empire France. The work was made shortly before the end of Napoleon III's rule and reveals the social tensions of the period.
Impact
The crowd's jubilation and the laborious climb up the mast create a contradictory impression, made humorous yet critical by the caricatural exaggeration and the ironic caption. Viewers are prompted to think about political promises.
Technique
Lithography on wove paper, executed in the second state of two (Delteil). Fine lines and hatching model the figures and the mast in black and white. Lithography allowed the image to be reproduced quickly and cheaply for the satirical press.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)