Étrennes pour 1867 1866

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, Étrennes pour 1867, meaning 'New Year's Gift for 1867', in France for the illustrated newspaper, Le Charivari. It encapsulates Daumier's incisive social commentary on the growing militarization of French society. Here, Daumier uses visual codes to create meaning. A child, symbolizing the new year, struggles to lift a rifle, her dress emblazoned with the year. Behind her, bayonets and a marching crowd suggest a society increasingly focused on military endeavors. This was made in the period after the bloody June Days of 1848, which saw the army repress a worker uprising. Daumier critiques the institutions of his time, including the press, through which he ironically distributes his message. He self-consciously adopts the role of social critic, challenging the status quo. To truly understand Daumier's work, one must delve into the historical context, examining sources from the period that can illuminate the complex interplay between art, politics, and society.