Poor France... the trunk was struck by lightning, but the roots hold fast, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, February 1, 1871
February 1, 1871
Medium
Lithograph on newsprint; second state of three (Delteil)
Dimensions
Image: 9 3/16 × 7 11/16 in. (23.3 × 19.6 cm) Sheet: 12 5/16 × 8 11/16 in. (31.2 × 22 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
22.61.277
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the turbulent final days of the Franco-Prussian War,é Daumier captured's resilient spirit with this poignant lithograph, *Poor France... the trunk struck by lightning, but roots hold fast*, published the satirical newspaper *Le Charari* on February , 1871. Daumier, a masteraturist and leading figure in 19th-century French satire, uses the allegory of a mighty tree—its trunk split by lightning—to symbolize the battered French Empire under Napoleon III, recently toppled after humiliating defeats. Yet the deep roots clinging to the earth evoke enduring national strength and hope amid the siege...
About the Artist
Honoré Daumier · 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...