Artwork
Qui veut de la couronne de Bysance?
Qui veut de la couronne de Bysance? 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
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph titled “Qui veut de la couronne de Bysance?” presents a brief, comic tableau in which a disheveled figure reaches for a crown presented by a pompous aristocrat. The composition is rendered in bold, sweeping lines that emphasize the grotesque facial expressions of both characters, creating a vivid visual joke about the distribution of power.
Subject & Meaning
The print juxtaposes a rag‑clad, contorted man with a meticulously dressed nobleman, each wearing exaggerated smiles or grimaces. This stark contrast serves as a satirical commentary on the legitimacy of authority, suggesting that the right to rule may be claimed by anyone, regardless of status, and inviting viewers to question the criteria for crowning leaders.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, Daumier applied greasy ink to a limestone surface, allowing for fluid, expressive strokes that capture the immediacy of a cartoonish scene. The strong, unmodulated lines and heightened caricature are hallmarks of his approach, using the medium’s capacity for rapid reproduction to amplify social critique through visual exaggeration.
Context
Created during a period when Daumier frequently targeted political figures and the monarchy, the work reflects his broader engagement with contemporary French politics. By employing a humorous, almost theatrical tableau, he aligned with the 19th‑century tradition of satirical prints that circulated widely to influence public opinion.
Legacy
While the lithograph remains less cited than Daumier’s larger oil works, it exemplifies his skill in merging art and journalism. The piece continues to be studied as an early example of visual satire that leverages the reproducibility of lithography to disseminate critical perspectives on 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.
