Decree of the commune: General liquidation, from "Rent issues"
Original title: Decree of the commune: General liquidation, from "Rent issues"
kurzbeschreibung
This print by Honoré Daumier, titled 'Dekret der Kommune: Allgemeine Liquidation', is dated April 3, 1871. It is a lithograph on newsprint, preserved in the second state of two (Delteil). The image shows a single figure pouring liquid from one bowl into another. The motif belongs to the series 'Rent issues'.
Description
One person pours a liquid from one bowl into another. They wear a shirt inscribed 'QUITTANCE DE LOURD'. Several other bowls and cloths with the same inscription are arranged around them. The background remains dark and indistinct, which draws the eye to the action in the foreground. The monochrome layout and precise lines of the lithograph produce clearly defined contours of figure and vessels.
Context
The lithograph was made in 1871 during the Paris Commune, a revolutionary city government. Daumier, known for his political caricatures, here took up the Commune's financial policy, namely the 'Liquidation générale' (general settlement). The inscription 'QUITTANCE DE LOURD' refers to receipts or IOUs connected with the expropriation and redistribution of property.
Impact
The central arrangement and the repeated inscription 'QUITTANCE DE LOURD' make the print feel monotonous and underline the bureaucratic mechanics of liquidation. The dark background adds to the somber mood and brings the almost ritual pouring into focus, heightening the absurdity of the situation.
Technique
The lithograph was printed on newsprint, suggesting rapid distribution as a political satire sheet. The lithographic process allows fine lines and shading, used here for the precise rendering of textiles and vessels. The second state (Delteil) points to possible reworking or corrections compared with the first printing.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)