Don't look in that direction, don't you see that it's just a scare-crow, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"
December 9, 1869
Medium
Lithograph on wove paper; second state of two (Delteil)
Dimensions
Image: 9 11/16 × 8 7/8 in. (24.6 × 22.6 cm) Sheet: 14 3/16 × 10 3/8 in. (36 × 26.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
22.61.128
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling world of 19th-century French satire, Honoré Daum reigns supreme as a master caricaturist, and *Don't look in that direction, you see that it's just scare-crow* exemplifies his sharp wit. Published on December 9, 1869, in the daily humor magazine *Le Charivari* as part of the "News of the day", this lithograph captures moment of rural folly. Amid the Second Empire's social upheavals under Napoleon III, Daum often skewered human folly, politics, and everyday life through exaggerated figures and expressive gestures. Here, tags hint at a comical encounter involving men, women, and ...
About the Artist
Honoré Daumier|Walter Frères|Arnaud de Vresse · 1810–1879
Honoré-Victorin Daumier (1808-1879) was a prolific French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor whose works offered incisive commentary on the social and political life of 19th-century France. Known as the 'Michelangelo of Caricature,' Daumier produced over 4,000 lithographs, 500 paintings, 1,000 drawings, and 100 sculptures during his lifetime. His biting political satire led to his imp...