Artwork
Le Citoyen ... Thiers essayant un nouveau costume
Le Citoyen ... Thiers essayant un nouveau costume is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s 1848 lithograph, titled *Le Citoyen Thiers essayant un nouveau costume*, presents a single figure dressed in an ostentatious outfit. The composition centers on a man standing with an inflated posture, his nose lifted, and his attire rendered in exaggerated detail. The work exemplifies Daumier’s practice of using print media to comment on contemporary public life.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is a caricature of a political personality, rendered in a flamboyant costume that borders on the absurd. By inflating the subject’s hat, coat, and facial features, Daumier underscores the pretensions and self‑importance he perceived in politicians of the era, suggesting that their public displays often mask a comical, even ridiculous, reality.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the print relies on the medium’s capacity for bold lines and rapid reproduction. Daumier’s hand‑drawn draft was transferred onto a stone surface, allowing him to manipulate tonal contrasts and emphasize the exaggerated contours of the figure. The style merges satirical caricature with a loose, expressive line that heightens the work’s critical tone.
History & Provenance
Created in the revolutionary year of 1848, the lithograph was part of Daumier’s prolific output of political satire during a period of intense social upheaval in France. Original impressions circulated among the public and press, contributing to Daumier’s reputation as a visual commentator on the shifting political landscape.
Context
The image appears against the backdrop of the Second Republic, when public discourse was saturated with debates over authority and representation. Daumier’s choice to depict a citizen in a theatrical costume reflects the broader cultural skepticism toward politicians who adopted grandiose personas to secure popular support.
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.
