Not enticing for the others, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, February 24, 1868
February 24, 1868
Medium
Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)
Dimensions
Image: 9 5/8 × 8 3/16 in. (24.4 × 20.8 cm) Sheet: 11 9/16 × 11 1/2 in. (29.3 × 29.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1957
Accession Number
57.650.238
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This 1868 lithograph by Honoré Daumier, published in the satirical French journal *Le Charivari*, captures the artist’s signature wit through its playful yet pointed depiction of mice. Titled *Not enticing for the others*, the belongs to Daumier’s long-running “News of the day” series, which used everyday scenes to comment on contemporary French society. Created as a second state on newsprint, the work exemplifies the democratic reach of lithography, allowing sharp social commentary to circulate widely among middle-class readers. Daumier, a leading figure in 19th-century caricature, often employed animals to lampoon human follies and political figures. Here, the mice serve as stand-ins for ordinary citizens reacting to an unappealing prospect, a device that let him critique current events with humor and subtlety while evading strict censorship. The modest sheet size and affordable format underscore the print’s original purpose as accessible, topical journalism rather than fine-art object. Today, this impression in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection preserves a vivid glimpse of Second Empire France, where Daumier’s incisive eye transformed fleeting news into enduring social commentary.
About the Artist
Arnaud de Vresse|Destouches|Honoré Daumier (French|French|French) · 1808 |1800 |1856 –1879 |1900 |1870
French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|Paris|