What some call progress!
Original title: What some call progress!, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, September 13, 1871
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier made the lithograph 'Was manche Fortschritt nennen!' on September 13, 1871, and it appeared in the magazine 'Le Charivari'. It shows people in extreme distress swimming in water and dodging large boulders labeled 'TIMBRE' and 'IMPÔT SUR LE PAPIER'.
Description
Several figures drift in a body of water, desperately trying to free themselves from massive stones or spheres bearing the inscriptions 'TIMBRE' and 'IMPÔT SUR LE PAPIER' that roll through the image from left to right. The backdrop stays bare: only water and sky, so the eye falls entirely on the figures. The layout feels restless and conveys a sense of haste and confusion.
Context
The lithograph was published on September 13, 1871, in the satirical magazine 'Le Charivari' and belongs to the series 'News of the day'. Daumier was referring to new taxes on paper and stamps introduced in France after the Franco-Prussian War. The caricature attacks the tax burden felt to be crushing, which puts people in dire straits.
Impact
The people pursued by the stones evoke a stifling yet ironic feeling. The clear black-and-white drawing and the agitated arrangement heighten the impression of danger and hopelessness.
Technique
The lithograph on newsprint, in the second state of two (Delteil), uses precise, thin lines that sharply outline figures and objects. Varying shades of gray give the water depth and structure.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)