My dear France, I urge you not to panic every time before your delivery!, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, March 23, 1870
May 23, 1870
Medium
Lithograph on wove paper; third state of three (Delteil)
Dimensions
Image: 9 3/8 × 8 1/16 in. (23.8 × 20.4 cm) Sheet: 12 in. × 11 7/16 in. (30.5 × 29 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
22.61.265
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the turbulent political climate of 1870 France, Honoré Daumier crafted this biting lithograph, *My dear France, I you not to panic every before your delivery!*, published in the satirical newspaper *Le Charari* on March 23 (with the third state printed May 23). Daumier, a master of caricature and a key figure in 19th-century French lithography, often skewered the Second Empire's leaders and societal anxieties through exaggerated, empathetic figures. Here, he personifies France as a flustered woman in labor, consoled by a calm figure—likely a satirical jab at national jitters amid rising ten...
About the Artist
Honoré Daumier|Arnaud de Vresse|Walter Frères · 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...