December 31st, Table of contents, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, December 31, 1868

Art Historical Context

This satirical lithograph, titled *December 31st, of Contents* from the "News of the Day", appeared in the French newspaper *Le Charivari* on New Year's Eve 1868. Attributed to Honoré Daumier alongside Arnaud de Vresse andouches, it exemplifies the collaborative spirit of the era's vibrant printmaking scene. Printed on inexpensive newsprint in the second state of two (as cataloged by Delteil), the work measures about 9¾ × 8¾ inches and was designed for quick dissemination to a wide Parisian audience, capturing the immediacy of daily satire. Daumier, a master of caricature during France's Second Empire, used bold lithography to skewer social trends and political absurdities. Here, motifs of bicycles—then a novel and exhilarating invention—and skeletons likely mock the year's fads, follies, or omens of change, blending humor with dark irony in a "table of contents" format that whimsically summarizes 1868's headlines. *Le Charivari*, a bastion of press freedom under censorship pressures, made such prints cultural touchstones, influencing public discourse. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1948), this piece highlights lithography's power for affordable, incisive commentary, inviting visitors to chuckle at history's recurring ridiculousness.

About the Artist

Arnaud de Vresse|Honoré Daumier|Destouches (French|French|French) · 1808 |1800 |1856 –1879 |1900 |1870

French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|Paris|