Artwork
A Naples: Voyons, je lui fais grace ...
A Naples: Voyons, je lui fais grace ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1855 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Lithography lets you draw on stone with greasy ink then print hundreds of copies.
A man flails in a tight grip while two others shove him forward.
A third stands ready with a raised stick.
An official on a platform watches it all.
Daumier made this in 1855, years before the scene happened.
He used a printing trick called lithography to sell cheap, angry pictures.
Lithography lets you draw on stone with greasy ink then print hundreds of copies.
This one mocks French police who cracked heads at protests.
If you want more like it, look up Daumier, Honoré.
Overview
A Naples: Voyons, je lui fais grâce is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, created in 1855. The print depicts a tumultuous scene of physical altercation among multiple figures, overseen by an authoritative presence.
Subject & Meaning
The scene centralizes a distressed figure being restrained and threatened with a strike, while an official observes from a raised platform. This composition critiques social tensions, specifically satirizing the French police's violent handling of protests.
Technique & Style
Daumier utilized lithography, a technique allowing for mass production by drawing with greasy ink on stone. This method facilitated the widespread dissemination of his socially conscious, dynamically lined artworks.
History & Provenance
Notably, the lithograph predates the actual events it critiques, demonstrating Daumier's foresight into escalating social unrest. The work's provenance is not detailed here, but its creation in 1855 situates it within Daumier's period of prolific social commentary.
Context
Produced in 1855, the work reflects the burgeoning social and political tensions in France leading up to significant unrest. Daumier's choice of lithography ensured the piece could be affordably and widely circulated among the populace.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the Revolution of 1830 to the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870.
