Beware Madam Majority! It is devilishly delicate to raise such a child!
Original title: Beware Madam Majority! It is devilishly delicate to raise such a child!, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, November 29, 1871
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier produced this lithograph in 1871 as a political caricature: a woman holds a child dressed in revolutionary garb, while a bull-like creature with a rifle stands beside her. The print appeared on November 29, 1871, in the series News of the Day in the newspaper Le Charivari.
Description
A woman in traditional clothing, wearing a headscarf and glasses, holds a child whose outfit recalls the women of the French Revolution. Next to her stands a bull-like figure with a rifle and a conspicuous head covering, looking at the woman. A text box labeled ACTUALITES forms the backdrop. Beneath the image runs the line: Prenez garde, madame la Majorité! C'est delicat en diable à élever ces enfants-la!
Context
Daumier made the lithograph during the years of the Third French Republic, which arose in 1870 after the fall of Napoleon III. The caricature addresses the political tensions following the Paris Commune of 1871. The woman Majority allegorically embodies the parliamentary majority, which must deal with the children of the revolution. The sheet was published in the satirical newspaper Le Charivari, for which Daumier regularly drew political caricatures.
Impact
By casting political actors as peasant figures and a bull-like being, the image creates an ironic distance. The everyday and the threatening meet in this scene, giving it a parodic edge. The caption below reinforces the satirical tone and highlights the absurdity of the political situation.
Technique
The print is a lithograph on newsprint, in the second state of two (according to Delteil). Lithography allowed for the fine lines and shading characteristic of caricature. The dimensions are 25.8 × 22.1 cm (image) and 29.8 × 29.8 cm (sheet).
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)