The declaration of Damocles, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, March 25, 1870

Art Historical Context

Step into the sharp-witted world of 19th-century French satire *The Declaration of Damocles*, aograph published in the iconic newspaper *Le Charivari* on 25, 1870. Created by Honoré Daumier alongside collaborators Arnaud de Vresse, Walterères, and politician Emile Ollivier, this captures the turbulent political climate of the Second French Empire. Daumier, a master caricaturist, often used his bold lines to skewer the powerful, and here the title evokes the Sword of Damocles—symbolizing imminent peril hanging over those in authority. Printed on newsprint in its second state (as cataloged by Delteil), the work measures a compact 9 3/8 × 8 1/16 inches, ideal for quick dissemination among Paris's readers. Lithography allowed for affordable, high-volume production, making satire accessible to the masses and amplifying its cultural punch. Tags like "Satire," "Men," and "Women" hint at gendered social commentary, likely poking fun at political declarations amid Ollivier's liberal reforms under Napoleon III, just months before the Franco-Prussian War erupted. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1957), this piece exemplifies how visual humor shaped public opinion, blending artistry with activism in an era of censorship and change. A timeless reminder of art's power to unsettle the status quo!

About the Artist

Arnaud de Vresse|Walter Frères|Honoré Daumier|Emile Ollivier (French|French|French) · 1808 |1800 |1856 –1879 |1900 |1870

French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|Paris|