A somewhat naive nurse, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, January 4, 1871
January 4, 1871(?)
Medium
Lithograph on newsprint
Dimensions
Image: 9 11/16 × 8 1/8 in. (24.6 × 20.7 cm) Sheet: 11 5/16 × 11 1/2 in. (28.7 × 29.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1954
Accession Number
54.557.49
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the satirical world of 19th-century France with *A Somewhat Naive Nurse*, a lithograph from the "News of the Day series published in *Le Charivari* on January 4, 1871. Created by Honor Daumier alongside Arnaud de Vresse and Dest, this print captures the era's sharp social commentary during the Franco-Prussian War and the Siege of Paris. Daumier, a master caricaturist, often skewered contemporary figures through exaggerated features and wry humor, here poking fun at a nurse whose "naive" demeanor reflects wartime volunteerism amid chaos. Printed on inexpensive newsprint using lithography—a technique Daumier pioneered for rapid, high-volume production—this 9⅝ × 8⅛-inch image exemplifies the immediacy of 1870s journalism. The medium allowed affordable distribution, making biting critiques accessible to the masses. Its bold lines and expressive distortion highlight women's emerging roles in caregiving, tagged simply as "Women," underscoring shifting gender dynamics. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1954), this piece reminds us how art mirrored daily struggles. Imagine Parisians chuckling over their morning paper, finding levity in hardship— a testament to Daumier's enduring wit.
About the Artist
Arnaud de Vresse|Honoré Daumier|Destouches (French|French|French) · 1808 |1800 |1856 –1879 |1900 |1870
French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|Paris|