Archimède riant des efforts impuissants que font les Anglais pour mettre à flot le Leviathan, from Actualités, published in Le Charivari, December 5, 1857
December 5, 1857
Medium
Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 15/16 × 14 1/2 in. (25.3 × 36.8 cm) Image: 8 3/16 × 10 3/8 in. (20.8 × 26.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1936
Accession Number
36.12.228
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the witty world of 19th-century French satire *Archimède riant des efforts impuissants font les Anglais pour mettre flot le Leviathan*, lithograph published in the renowned satirical newspaper *Le Charari* on December 5, 1857. Attributed to Honoré Daumier alongside Aaron Martinet and Destouches, this print captures Daumier's masterful caricature style, blending sharp social commentary with exaggerated forms to mock geopolitical rivalries. The image pokes fun at Britain's ambitious yet troubled Leviathan—the colossal steamship (later renamed Great Eastern) designed by Isambard Kingdo...