My dear France, I urge you not to panic every time before your delivery!
Original title: My dear France, I urge you not to panic every time before your delivery!, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, March 23, 1870
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many caricatures of its day, which relied on blunt stereotypes of the enemy, this 1870 print by Honoré Daumier pairs political allegory with something close to an intimate chamber drama. A crowned woman lies on a bed while a man stands behind her. The lithograph belongs to the series 'Actualités' and appeared on 23 March 1870 in 'Le Charivari'. Black and white, image size 23.8 × 20.4 cm.
Description
A woman in pale dress rests on a couch, worn out, a crown on her head. A short-haired man in a dark coat steps up behind her and looks down. Light falls on the reclining figure while the room stays in shadow. The arrangement is tightly centred and the palette limited to black, white and grey. Realistic touches mingle with caricatural exaggeration, especially in the faces.
Context
The lithograph was published in the satirical paper 'Le Charivari', during the late years of the Second Empire under Napoleon III. Daumier often took up political and social grievances; the woman can be read as an allegory of France. The date of 23 March 1870 falls before the Franco-Prussian War, which began in July of that year. The series 'Actualités' commented on current events with biting irony.
Impact
The gloomy lighting and the woman's exhaustion create an oppressive mood. Caricatural distortion gives the scene satirical edge and prompts reflection. The central layout pulls the eye straight to what is happening.
Technique
Daumier worked in lithography on wove paper, a common printing method for satirical sheets at the time. This impression is the third state of three (according to Delteil), which points to several revisions of the printing plate. The subtle handling of grey tones shows the artist's assurance in lithography.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)