Reading the newspaper in the family circle
c. 1835
Medium
Lithograph in black on white wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 12.9 × 16 cm (5 1/8 × 6 5/16 in.); Sheet: 19.1 × 25.8 cm (7 9/16 × 10 3/16 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
79905
Art Historical Context
In the cozy glow of a family gathering, Honoré-Victorin Daumier'sReading the Newspaper in the Family Circle* (c 1835) captures quintessential middle-class moment from France's July Monarchy era. This lithograph, printed in bold black ink on white wove paper measures a compact 12.9 × 16 cm, making it an intimate yet pointed commentary on everyday life. Daumier, a masteraturist and pioneer of Realism, used his prints to skewer the bourgeoisie and political figures under King Louis-Philippe, often published in satirical journals like *La Caricature*. Lithography was Daumier's ideal medium here—i...
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...