A session of hypnotism, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"

Art Historical Context

Step into the sharp-witted world of 19-century French satire with *A Session of Hypnotism*, a lithograph published in the August 31, 1869, issue of *Le Charivari*'s "News of the Day". Created by Honoré Daumier, collaborators Walter Frères and de Vresse (likely pseudonyms for the prolific caricaturist), this print captures the era's fascination with mesmerism and emerging hypnosis. Daumier, a cornerstone of the Realist movement and master of social commentary, skewers contemporary fads through exaggerated figures and ironic scenarios, often targeting bourgeois pretensions. Printed as a lithograph on wove paper—the second state of two, per Delteil's catalog—this intimate work (image 9 7/16 × 8 1/16 in.) exemplifies the medium's revolutionary accessibility. Lithography allowed artists like Daumier to produce affordable, mass-distributed critiques, flooding Paris with biting humor via newspapers like *Le Charivari*. The technique's greasy crayon on stone yielded rich tonal contrasts, perfect for Daumier's dynamic compositions of contorted poses and expressive faces. Held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Rogers Fund, 1922), this piece highlights women's roles in Daumier's satirical lens, poking fun at hypnosis as a trendy spectacle. It reflects 1860s cultural buzz around pseudosciences, reminding us how art has long lampooned human gullibility with enduring wit.

About the Artist

Walter Frères|Arnaud de Vresse|Honoré Daumier (French|French|French) · 1856 |1808 | –1870 |1879 |

|French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|