Not reassuring for the crowns!, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, January 11, 1869
January 11, 1869
Medium
Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)
Dimensions
Image: 9 5/8 × 8 13/16 in. (24.4 × 22.4 cm) Sheet: 11 7/16 × 11 9/16 in. (29.1 × 29.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.117.23
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the sharp-witted world of 19th-century French satire with Honoré Daum *Not reassuring for the crowns!*, a lithograph published in the January 11, 1869, issue of *Le Charivari*, the renowned satirical newspaper. Daumier, a master caricaturist and key figure in Realism, skewers the political elite here—likely mocking the fragility of imperial "crowns" (royalty or Napoleon III's regime) amid growing republican sentiments during the Second Empire. The exaggerated faces, a hallmark of his style, amplify the humor and bite, turning political commentary into visual punchlines. Printed on n...
About the Artist
Honoré Daumier|Destouches|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...