Artwork
Les moucherons politiques
Les moucherons politiques is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Les moucherons politiques is a lithograph created by Honoré Daumier in 1850, featuring a group of anthropomorphized flies gathered around a candle flame.
Subject & Meaning
The flies, with human-like faces, swarm around the candle, some succumbing to its heat while others press closer. This scene is a satirical commentary on the allure and dangers of power, likening those drawn to it to moths or flies irresistibly attracted to a flame.
Technique & Style
The print was produced using lithography, a technique involving drawing an image on stone and transferring it to paper. Daumier's work is characterized by its satirical tone and exaggerated expressions, typical of his critical approach to societal and political issues.
Context
Created in 1850s France, Les moucherons politiques is part of a larger body of work by Daumier that used satire to critique the political landscape of his time, particularly targeting the greed and folly of those in power.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
Les nouveaux Icares
The new Icarus
Ils voudraient éteindre jusqu'au soleil
Cérémonie imposante du scrutin
Trois saints dans le même bénitier
Un jour déclipse
La fonte d'un colosse de neige
Voilà le moment (passé minuit) o∙ le calme et la paix règnent véritablement dans les heureux ménages. Vaut mieux tard que jamais.