Un parricide

Executed as a lithograph, the work relies on the medium’s capacity for bold line work and high contrast. Daumier employs stark monochrome shading and vigorous, angular poses to amplify the tension, while the simplicity of the medium underscores the immediacy of the political message.

Created in the midst of France’s turbulent 1850s, the print reflects Daumier’s engagement with social and political issues of his time. It was produced as part of his series of satirical prints that critiqued labor legislation and press regulation, circulating among reformist circles before entering museum collections in the early twentieth century.

The image appears against the backdrop of the 1848 revolutions and subsequent labor reforms, when the French government grappled with the right to work and the role of a free press. Daumier’s choice of a club labeled “Droit du travail” directly references contemporary legislation, while the female figure alludes to the press’s emerging influence.

“Un parricide” remains a reference point for studies of 19th‑century political lithography, illustrating how visual satire could comment on legislative battles. Its stark composition continues to inform discussions of how art mediates the relationship between authority and the media.