1866
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
La Presse réactionnaire cherchant en vain... is a 1866 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a tall, ghostly figure holding a flag labeled *"La Presse"* and standing on a pile of books or rocks. Below, a smaller, skeletal man lies on the ground, clutching a sign that reads *"La Résurrection de Palatin."* The scene looks chaotic, with rough lines and shading. The flag’s name hints at a newspaper, and the skeleton’s sign suggests a play on words about revival or failure. Daumier often used satire to comment on politics and society. Next, check out lithography to see how artists like Daumier made sharp, bold prints like this one.
Honoré-Victorin Daumier was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the Revolution of 1830 to the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870.
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