Honoré Daumier
Honoré Daumier was a prominent French caricaturist and lithographer known for his powerful political satire during the early 19th century. His work gained significant attention with the publication of prints in periodicals such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari* during the reigns of Charles X and Louis Philippe. Daumier’s art often critiqued the political environment of his time, particularly focusing on government figures and social issues. One of his most famous works, "Gargantua," portrayed King Louis-Philippe in a grotesque manner, drawing parallels to Rabelais' satirical character, which led to legal repercussions for Daumier, including a fine and imprisonment. He was known for his boldness in addressing controversial subjects, even in the face of censorship and state repression. In addition to his caricatures, Daumier created poignant works like "Rue Transnonain," which depicted the tragic consequences of government violence against civilians. His legacy endures as a testament to the role of art in political discourse and social commentary.
Subject Terms
Honoré Daumier
Identification: French artist
Significance: Daumier was imprisoned in 1832 for satirizing the king of France in a newspaper caricature
Daumier’s reputation for political satire arose in the early 1830’s, when he published prints in two newly founded French periodicals, La Caricature and Le Charivari. The reigns of Charles X and Louis Philippe provided political events that were ripe for caricature. A state ordinance to muzzle the press resulted in the censoring of several Daumier lithographs during the early 1830s.
“Gargantua,” which Daumier published in La Caricature in December, 1831, depicted Louis-Philippe as the monstrous glutton invented by François Rabelais in his 1530’s satire, Gargantua and Pantagruel. While graffiti on Parisian walls had depicted the king with a pear face (the French word for pear meant “dullard” in French slang), Daumier rendered him fat, pear-headed, and seated on an enema chair in the Place de la Concorde. Unlike his anonymous counterparts, Daumier had dared to attack the king in a public forum. As a result, the printers’ lithographic stone was seized by the police and Daumier himself was tried, along with the printers, in February, 1832, for “hatred and contempt of the government and insulting the king’s person.” Each defendant was fined five hundred francs and was sentenced to six months in prison. Daumier served five months of his sentence.
Daumier later expressed his indignation toward the government in “Rue Transnonain, 15 April 1834,” a graphic account of the unjustified murder of Parisian citizens by French troops. The stone and copies of the print were confiscated by the police.