Who painted Déjà relevée!?

Déjà relevée! was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1871.

Where can I see Déjà relevée!?

Déjà relevée! is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Déjà relevée!?

Déjà relevée! is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Déjà relevée!

Honoré Daumier , 1871

Déjà relevée! is a print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1871 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1871, this gillotype on newsprint titled *Déjà relevée!* belongs to the prolific printmaking output of Honoré Daumier. The work exemplifies his practice of producing quickly rendered images for mass‑circulation papers, employing a satirical tone to address contemporary French affairs during the turbulent years surrounding the fall of the Second Empire.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on an oversized female figure identified as “France,” clutching a shield emblazoned with the word EMPRUNT, French for “loan.

The composition centers on an oversized female figure identified as “France,” clutching a shield emblazoned with the word EMPRUNT, French for “loan.” Beneath her, a cluster of diminutive, hat‑clad men gather around a table, their gestures suggesting pleading or protest. The contrast in scale and the financial terminology imply a critique of national indebtedness and the populace’s dependence on state borrowing.

Technique & Style

Daumier executed the image as a gillotype, a stencil‑based printing method that allowed rapid production on inexpensive newsprint. The lines are deliberately rough and gestural, conveying immediacy and urgency. This informal sketch‑like quality aligns with his broader caricatural approach, where exaggerated proportions and stark outlines serve the satirical narrative.

History & Provenance

The print emerged amid Daumier’s long engagement with French political commentary, spanning from the 1830 Revolution to the aftermath of the 1870 Franco‑Prussian War. While originally circulated in periodicals, surviving examples have entered museum collections, reflecting the work’s preservation as a document of 19th‑century public discourse.

Context

Produced during the early Third Republic, the image responds to the financial strains that followed France’s defeat in 1870 and the subsequent reparations imposed by the Treaty of Frankfurt. Daumier’s portrayal of “France” as a towering figure bearing a loan shield mirrors the national debate over fiscal recovery and the burden placed on ordinary citizens.

Artist & collection

Artist

Honoré Daumier

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.