← Honoré Daumier

I think this umbrella is going to collapse pretty soon, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, October 23, 1869

Original title: I think this umbrella is going to collapse pretty soon, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, October 23, 1869

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

October 23, 1869

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 7/16 × 8 1/16 in. (24 × 20.4 cm) Sheet: 11 3/4 × 10 3/4 in. (29.9 × 27.3 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1953

kurzbeschreibung

In 1869 Honoré Daumier took up his lithographic crayon for a sheet showing two men huddled beneath a splitting umbrella, its canopy marked with political symbols and the words 'ARTICLE 75'. The print appeared in the satirical journal Le Charivari.

Description

An umbrella that is visibly coming apart arches over two figures, its fabric carrying words such as 'REPEL' and 'NATIONAL'. Both men grip it with strained expressions while further political inscriptions and emblems surface around them. The caption reads: 'Je crois que le parapluie va finir par crever.'

Context

Daumier made this sheet in 1869 for Le Charivari, where he regularly commented on political and social matters. It came at a time of mounting tension in France under Napoleon III. Article 75 of the 1852 constitution, which limited the liability of officials, was then the subject of heated public debate.

Impact

Irony and unease go hand in hand here: the crumbling umbrella stands for a fragile political order. The worried faces of the two men and the unmistakable symbols invite reflection on the conditions of the day.

Technique

The sheet was printed as a lithograph on newsprint, a process Daumier often used because it allowed fast and wide distribution. This is the second state of two (Delteil), which suggests the printing plate was reworked.

AI-generated description text

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