← Honoré Daumier

Those who are about to die, salute thee, from "News of the day"

Original title: Those who are about to die, salute thee, from "News of the day"

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

September 2, 1870

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 10 in. × 8 13/16 in. (25.4 × 22.4 cm) Sheet: 11 7/16 × 11 7/16 in. (29.1 × 29 cm)

Credit line

Bequest of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1957

kurzbeschreibung

Dating from 1870, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier belongs to the series 'Nachrichten des Tages' (News of the Day). It presents a statue-like embodiment of France surrounded by struggling figures. The sheet was printed as a lithograph on newsprint.

Description

A statue holding a shield inscribed 'FRANCE' anchors the image. Before it, several figures are locked in violent combat poses, some of them armed. A drape partly conceals the statue behind them. Kept in black and white, the print relies on fine lines and strong shading, which heighten the sense of movement.

Context

This lithograph was made on September 2, 1870, the day of the capitulation at Sedan in the Franco-Prussian War. With it, Daumier responded to France's military defeat. The series 'Nachrichten des Tages' appeared in the satirical journal 'Le Charivari'.

Impact

The arrangement feels dramatic through the tension between the motionless statue and the agitated figures. Deep shadows reinforce the sombre mood of war.

Technique

As was typical of his caricatures, Daumier used lithography on newsprint. The print survives in the second of two states (Delteil).

AI-generated description text

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