Ireland and Jamaica: Patience!, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"
April 11, 1866
Medium
Lithograph on wove paper; second state of two (Delteil)
Dimensions
Image: 9 5/16 × 7 3/4 in. (23.7 × 19.7 cm) Sheet: 14 1/8 × 10 1/2 in. (35.9 × 26.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
22.61.131
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1866, French satirical master Honoré Daumier this biting lithograph, *Ireland and Jamaica: Patience*, to the "News of the Day" section of *Leivari*, a renowned Parisian newspaper famous for its political caricatures. Printed on wove paper in the second state of two (as cataloged by Delteil), image measures about 9½ by 7¾ inches and exemplifies lithography's power for sharp social commentary. Daumier, alongside collaborators Arnaud de Vresse and Destouches, used the medium's fluid lines and tonal range to create dynamic, expressive figures, allowing affordable reproduction for a wide audience. The title alludes to turbulent colonial unrest: Jamaica's 1865 Morant Bay rebellion, brutally quashed by British forces, and Ireland's simmering grievances against British rule amid famine aftermath and agitation for reform. Daumier's satire likely mocks imperial hypocrisy or calls for "patience" in the face of oppression, tagging men in exaggerated poses to lampoon power dynamics. As a key figure in 19th-century French caricature, Daumier's realist style—blending humor with gritty observation—highlighted societal flaws, influencing later political art. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Rogers Fund, 1922), this work invites reflection on enduring themes of empire and resistance, reminding us how prints once fueled public discourse.
About the Artist
Arnaud de Vresse|Destouches|Honoré Daumier (French|French|French) · 1808 |1800 |1856 –1879 |1900 |1870
French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|Paris|