The dream of the inventor of the pin-gun on All Saints' Day, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"
November 1, 1866
Medium
Lithograph on wove paper; third state of three (Delteil)
Dimensions
Image: 9 3/16 × 7 7/8 in. (23.3 × 20 cm) Sheet: 14 1/8 × 10 1/4 in. (35.9 × 26 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
22.61.126
Tags
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph captures the playful yet pointed spirit of 19th-century French satire. Published on November1, 1866—All’ Day—in the popular journal *Le Charivari*, the print imagines an inventor’s whimsical dream of a “pin-gun,” a fantastical device that blends everyday objects with military absurdity. Daumier, a master of caricature, used such scenes to gently mock the era’s fascination with new inventions and the sometimes ridiculous pretensions of inventors. Created through lithography, a medium Daumier championed for its ability to reach wide audiences via the press, the work ...
About the Artist
Honoré Daumier|Arnaud de Vresse|Destouches · 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...