Dites donc, not'maire ... des communistes qué qu'c'est ça? c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph titled "Dites donc, not'maire ... des communistes qué qu'c'est ça?" sometime in the mid-19th century. Here, Daumier tackles a topic of contemporary social and political debate: communism. This image creates meaning through visual codes and cultural references specific to France during a time of significant political upheaval. The artwork illustrates the mayor who leans condescendingly toward an older peasant, who asks what communists are. The mayor responds that they are people who want money, work, and land to be shared in common. The peasant concludes that these people lack common sense. As a historian, I would use newspaper archives, pamphlets, and other printed materials to better understand how the idea of communism circulated and was debated within the French public sphere at the time. The meaning of art is contingent on this social and institutional context.