Artwork
L'empereur soulouque ...
L'empereur soulouque ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
L'empereur soulouque is a lithograph created by Honoré Daumier in 1850. The print depicts a satirical scene featuring a figure holding another person upside down over a cauldron.
Subject & Meaning
The scene is a commentary on power, with the exaggerated style and dynamic expressions conveying a sense of absurdity. The artwork mocks France's short-lived emperor, using satire to critique those in power.
Technique & Style
The lithograph is characterized by its bold, comic style, achieved through the lithography process, where ink is rolled onto stone to create the print. Daumier's use of this technique allowed for the mass production of satirical images.
Context
The print is a political cartoon, a genre Daumier frequently employed to critique those in power. The artwork's satire is directed at the excesses and absurdities of imperial power.
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.
