← Honoré Daumier

They're talking about new elections. Before I vote for a candidate, I want him to be examined by a doctor to make sure he is not declared invalid again, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, September 27, 1869

Original title: –They're talking about new elections. –Before I vote for a candidate, I want him to be examined by a doctor to make sure he is not declared invalid again, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, September 27, 1869

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

September 27, 1869

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; third state of three (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 8 3/8 × 7 15/16 in. (21.3 × 20.1 cm) Sheet: 11 7/8 × 10 3/8 in. (30.2 × 26.4 cm)

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1922

kurzbeschreibung

This 1869 lithograph by Honoré Daumier places two men at a table, one handing the other a sheet of paper. Part of the 'News of the day' series published in the satirical newspaper Le Charivari, it turns a sharp eye on the politics of the moment.

Description

Two figures sit at a table: the man on the left holds a sheet and pushes it toward his companion on the right, who fixes his gaze on it. A glass of water stands between them, and a plain wooden wall closes off the room behind. Both wear simple clothes that suggest a rural setting. Light falls from the front, bringing out faces and hands, while fine strokes and hatching break up the flat areas. The caricatural touch is unmistakable and suits the tone of political visual satire of those years.

Context

The print was made for the 'News of the day' series in the satirical Le Charivari. It takes up French politics before the Franco-Prussian War, at a time when new elections were being debated. The caricature alludes to candidates being declared invalid, a point that occupied public discussion. Daumier used his draftsmanship to expose political absurdity.

Impact

The muted, almost monochrome tonality and the bare room create a serious, reflective mood. The humorous caption sets up a tension with this and sharpens the satirical point. The sheet reaches beyond its own time and shows how Daumier could distill political commentary into spare visual language.

Technique

Lithography on newsprint, third of three states (Delteil): the contours and hatching reveal how the drawing was transferred directly onto the stone. Finely graded tones model the figures and their surroundings without losing detail. Using newsprint as the support underlines the journalistic and satirical purpose of the print.

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