–Are you going to open the door of the cage? –Indeed.... I am going to repaint it, from 'News of the day,' published in 'Le Charivari'
Original title: –Are you going to open the door of the cage? –Indeed.... I am going to repaint it, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"
kurzbeschreibung
A woman holding a bowl smiles while a dwarfish man with a quill pen beside her looks uneasy. This 1870 lithograph by Honoré Daumier plays with a caption: “Are you going to open the door of the cage?” “For instance … I’m going to repaint it.” The birdcage on a table in the background is part of the humorous setup. The print belongs to the “Actualités” series and appeared in “Le Charivari.”
Description
On the right, a large birdcage with a bird inside stands on a table with a turned leg. In front of it, a group has formed: a woman in a long dress holds a bowl and smiles, next to her a small, grotesque character with a quill pen whose expression betrays discomfort. At the upper left are the words “ACTUALITÉS” and the number “51”; in the background appears the inscription “RUE DE POITIERS.” The two lines of dialogue run along the bottom edge. The layout brings the figures close to the viewer and steps the space back.
Context
On March 22, 1870, Daumier published this lithograph in the satirical journal “Le Charivari.” It is part of the “Actualités” (News of the Day) series, which took aim at current political and social events. The “Rue de Poitiers” was then the seat of the Legitimists, a royalist faction. The time of its creation was marked by political tensions before the Franco-Prussian War.
Impact
The contrast between the smiling woman and the uneasy dwarf creates a comic, absurd mood. By having the answer “I’m going to repaint it” refuse the expected opening of the cage, an ironic tension arises. The print spreads that satirical, slightly biting tone characteristic of Daumier’s caricatures.
Technique
The lithograph was printed on wove paper, in the third of three states (after Delteil). The process allowed fine lines and graduated shading, used for the detailed rendering of the figures and the space. The sheet measures 35.8 × 25.6 cm, the image itself 23.6 × 20.4 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)