← Honoré Daumier

The Republic calls us! Let us be victorious or die, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, September 20, 1870 (September 20, 1870, Met-Objekt 3646)

Original title: The Republic calls us! Let us be victorious or die, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, September 20, 1870

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

September 20, 1870

Medium

Lithograph on wove paper; first state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 5/8 × 8 3/4 in. (24.5 × 22.3 cm) Sheet: 13 11/16 × 10 5/8 in. (34.8 × 27 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1962

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier's lithograph from 1870 shows a crowd of people driven by a central figure with a shield, caught in violent, explosive motion. The print served as a political caricature in the satirical journal Le Charivari, taking up calls to defend the Republic during the Franco-Prussian War.

Description

A chaotic jumble of figures pushes in different directions. At the center, a man in a cap holds a shield; around him, some shout while others look panicked. From above, explosive effects crash down on the group, underscoring threat and urgency. The lithograph's grays and the light falling from above emphasize the movements and the drama.

Context

Daumier made the print on September 20, 1870, in the midst of the Siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. It appeared in the satirical journal Le Charivari under the heading 'Tagesneuigkeiten' (Daily News). The lithograph responded to the military situation and the patriotic appeals to defend the newly proclaimed Republic. Daumier was known for his political caricatures, which opposed monarchy and oppression.

Impact

The arrangement of figures and the explosive elements create an immediate sense of threat and the gravity of the situation. An intense, almost oppressive atmosphere pulls the viewer directly into the scene and conveys the urgency of the call.

Technique

Executed as a lithograph on wove paper, a widely used printing process at the time that allows fine gradations of gray and detail. Daumier used the technique to produce quick, expressive lines and shading that heighten the movement and emotion of the figures. This is the first state of two (Delteil), indicating a later revision.

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