Go and get yourself killed for me, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, August 10, 1871

Art Historical Context

Honoré Daumier's *Go and get yourself killed for me*, a biting lithograph published in the satirical newspaper *Le Charivari* on August 10, 1871, captures the raw disillusionment following France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the bloody suppression of the Paris Commune earlier that year. Daumier, a master caricaturist renowned for skewering the bourgeoisie, politicians, and social hypocrisies, uses this image from his "News of the Day" series to mock the callous attitudes fueling endless conflict. The provocative title suggests a domestic scene where a woman urges a man toward mortal danger, highlighting gender dynamics and the absurdity of patriotic fervor amid national trauma. Printed on newsprint in lithography—a technique Daumier perfected for its fluid lines and mass reproducibility—this second-state impression (per Delteil's catalog) features his signature exaggerated features and dynamic compositions. At just 10 by 8 inches, it packs a punch, blending sharp social commentary with empathetic humanity. As part of *Le Charivari*'s tradition of political satire, the work exemplifies 19th-century French printmaking's role in public discourse, influencing later cartoonists and remaining a timeless critique of war's human cost. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1948), it invites visitors to reflect on how art can challenge power—then and now.

About the Artist

Honoré Daumier · 1810–1879

Honoré-Victorin Daumier (1808-1879) was a prolific French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor whose works offered incisive commentary on the social and political life of 19th-century France. Known as the 'Michelangelo of Caricature,' Daumier produced over 4,000 lithographs, 500 paintings, 1,000 drawings, and 100 sculptures during his lifetime. His biting political satire led to his imp...