View of the right, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, June 28, 1872
Original title: View of the right, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, June 28, 1872
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph "Blick auf die Rechte" (A Look at the Right) appeared in the satirical journal Le Charivari on 28 June 1872. Three caricatured figures sit on a platform, their exaggerated faces and brooding expressions drawing the eye. This black-and-white sheet on newsprint belongs to the tradition of political caricature.
Description
Three figures occupy a podium. The one on the left wears glasses and has a notably large nose; the middle figure also has an oversized nose and wears a cap; the right-hand figure has a small nose and some form of head covering. Their postures read as thoughtful, even worried. Horizontal strokes suggest the sky. The layout is landscape format, with the group placed at its centre.
Context
The print dates from the early years of the Third Republic, shortly after the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune. Daumier contributed political caricatures to Le Charivari regularly; the journal was an influential satirical publication of the day. The title "Blick auf die Rechte" points to the conservative forces in the National Assembly, which gained ground in the post-war period. The lithograph belongs to a series addressing the political conditions of the era.
Impact
The oversized noses and anxious expressions create an ironic yet reflective mood. The pared-back drawing brings the figures and their faces to the fore, sharpening the political point. Monochrome printing reinforces the documentary character of the sheet.
Technique
Greasy chalk on stone, transferred to paper: this is how the lithograph on newsprint was made, a standard process for satirical prints of the period. Hatching in the background reveals the typical lithographic technique, with fine strokes and tonal values.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)