← Honoré Daumier

The cloak remains in their hands, like in the story of Joseph, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, October 14, 1869

Original title: The cloak remains in their hands, like in the story of Joseph, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, October 14, 1869

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

October 14, 1869

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 5/16 in. × 8 in. (23.6 × 20.3 cm) Sheet: 11 9/16 × 11 3/8 in. (29.3 × 28.9 cm)

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1922

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier’s lithograph from 1869 centers on a figure clutching a coat marked 'UNIVERS'. Behind him appears another, only partly visible figure, also wearing crown-like headgear. The print is a political caricature that ran in the 'News of the Day' section of the satirical journal Le Charivari.

Description

In the foreground, a figure grips a coat with both hands; the word 'UNIVERS' is legible on it. His head is topped with a crown-like hat. A second person in the background, shown only in part, also wears a crown-like headdress. The dark, blurred background pulls attention to the front figure and the coat. The drawing stays in grayscale and displays a richly detailed line.

Context

The print appeared in 1869, during a period of political tension in France under Napoleon III. Daumier published it in Le Charivari, for which he regularly drew political caricatures. The allusion to the biblical story of Joseph, where the coat is left behind with Potiphar’s wife, serves as an allegorical comment on contemporary events. 'UNIVERS' may refer to the newspaper 'L’Univers', which played a role in the Catholic-conservative press at the time.

Impact

The layout and the dark background focus attention on the action. The crown-like headpieces give the figures an air of authority that gains further meaning through the biblical reference. Grayscale and fine linework emphasize the print’s satirical character.

Technique

Lithography on newsprint, a common process for caricatures of the period. This is the second state of two (Delteil), suggesting the printing plate was reworked. Lithography allowed a fine, detailed rendering of lines, characteristic of Daumier’s style.

AI-generated description text

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