The Republic calls us! Let us be victorious or die, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, September 20, 1870
September 20, 1870
Medium
Lithograph on wove paper; first state of two (Delteil)
Dimensions
Image: 9 5/8 × 8 3/4 in. (24.5 × 22.3 cm) Sheet: 13 11/16 × 10 5/8 in. (34.8 × 27 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1962
Accession Number
62.650.422
Tags
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier, a master of 19th-century French caricature, created *The Republic calls us! Let us be victorious or die as a lithograph published in the satirical newspaper *Le Charivari* on September , 1870. This poignant image captures the desperate patriotism of the Franco-Prussian War era, France faced crushing defeat by Prussian forces, leading to the fall of Napoleon III's Second Empire and the birth of the Third Republic.umier's bold title echoes the rallying cry amid national crisis, blending fervor with foreboding. The print, in its rare first state (before later corrections noted by...
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...