Le supplice de tantale... eau comprise

Daumier employed the gillotype process, a variant of lithography that allowed for fine tonal variation on inexpensive paper. The print’s texture emerges from visible strokes and the contrast between dark foreground elements and the lighter, almost misty water, reinforcing a somber atmosphere.

The work was produced during a turbulent year that saw the collapse of the Second French Empire. Daumier, an outspoken republican, often contributed to satirical journals; this print reflects his continued engagement with political discourse, though it was not originally intended for a museum setting.

The year 1870 marked the end of imperial rule and the rise of the Third Republic in France. Within this climate of upheaval, Daumier’s prints served as visual commentary on the shifting power structures, using ordinary figures to embody collective anxieties.