Artwork
Le Prince de Hohenzollern...

Le Prince de Hohenzollern... is a print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1870, *Le Prince de Hohenzollern…* is a gillotype printed on newsprint by the French artist Honoré Daumier. The work belongs to his prolific output of prints that blend caricature and political satire, a medium through which he regularly addressed contemporary French affairs during the waning years of the Second Empire.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts a formally dressed figure, supported by a cane, perched atop a chaotic heap of intertwined bodies. Behind him looms a massive, block‑shaped tower crowned with a regal emblem. The accompanying French caption alludes to a struggle on a steep stair, underscoring the piece’s humorous critique of a pretentious ruler navigating a precarious situation.
Technique & Style
Executed as a gillotype, the print employs rapid, sketch‑like lines that convey immediacy and exaggeration. The use of newsprint as a substrate reinforces the work’s connection to contemporary journalism, while the lack of refined shading and the loose, energetic drawing style heighten the sense of disorder and urgency characteristic of Daumier’s caricatures.
Context
Produced at a time when Daumier was actively contributing to satirical journals such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*, the print reflects his ongoing engagement with the political turbulence preceding the collapse of Napoleon III’s regime. By targeting the Hohenzollern dynasty, the work participates in the broader French press campaign that mocked foreign monarchic ambitions and domestic power structures.
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.



















