On avait... joliment graissé le mât 1869

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, titled "On avait... joliment graissé le mât", using a greasy crayon to draw on a flat slab of limestone. The magic of lithography lies in the material interaction of oil and water, creating a surface that accepts ink only where the artist has drawn. The stone then meets paper in a printing press, bearing an image that can be reproduced many times. Daumier used this technique to great effect. Here, a crowd is watching a man climb a pole, the top of which is adorned with the word "Liberty." The pole itself is inscribed with "Universal Suffrage." The lithographic process, with its capacity for mass production, mirrors the very theme of the artwork, suggesting the potential and the pitfalls of democracy. Just as the greasy crayon defines the image, the slippery pole represents the obstacles to achieving true political freedom. Daumier's choice of a readily reproducible medium underscores his social commentary, democratizing art itself.