A Candidate
1837
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1837
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A Candidate is a 1837 by Honoré Daumier, a Romanticism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A man in a top hat stands on a stool, arms out, smiling too wide. He looks like he wants votes. Around him, a crowd watches, some curious, some unimpressed. This image is a political cartoon from 1830s France. It pokes fun at election campaigns. Daumier drew many of these for a daily paper. He liked showing how silly some politicians looked. The scene feels loud and fake, like a show. You can almost hear the noise. Daumier made art that talked back to power — with humor. Look next at the artist: Honoré Daumier (French, 1808–1879). (Word count: 98)
