Thanks, I can do quite well without!, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, December 29, 1871

Art Historical Context

In the turbulent aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War and the Commune, Honoré Daumier captured the pulse of French politics with biting satire in *Thanks, I can do quite without!*, published in the daily satirical newspaper *Le Charivari* on December 29, 1. This lithograph from the "News of the Day" series, likely skewers the royalist pretenders vying for power during the fragile Third Republic. Figures like Émile de Girardin, prominent journalist and publisher, and Louis Philippe Albert d'Orléans, heir to the legitimist Comte de Chambord (de jure Henry V), appear amid a scene tagged with men and women, embodying Daumier's trademark mockery of bourgeois pretensions and monarchical ambitions. The title's cheeky dismissal reflects France's republican fervor, rejecting restorationist overtures. Daumier, a master of caricature, excelled in lithography on newsprint, a medium that enabled rapid, affordable dissemination of his incisive social commentary. This second state of two (per Delteil) showcases his fluid, expressive lines—bold contours and exaggerated features that amplify irony and human folly. Printed on modest newsprint (image 9⅛ × 7⅞ in.), it democratized art, reaching everyday readers through *Le Charivari*'s pages. Today, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1948), this print endures as a testament to Daumier's role in shaping public opinion, blending artistry with activism in an era of upheaval.

About the Artist

Honoré Daumier|Emile de Girardin|Louis Philippe Albert d'Orleans, Comte de Paris (heir to Comte de Chambord, de jure Henry V of France) · 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...