France preparing to get her candidates to pass muster under the measure of standards, plate 73 from Actualités
Medium
Lithograph in black on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 27 × 21 cm (10 11/16 × 8 5/16 in.); Sheet: 36.8 × 27.7 cm (14 1/2 × 10 15/16 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
12542
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Printed in Daumier’s long-running sociopolitical series, Actualités, this lithograph questions whether any of the diminutive politicians seen here can possibly measure up to the high standards of the French government. The candidates glance nervously toward the measuring rod as a calm, classicizing personification of France administers the test. Daumier’s assessment? Total failure. Candidates must be at least this tall to go on this political ride.
About the Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier · 1808–1879
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...