J'ai beau laver, l'ancienne couleur... 1869

This is an undated lithograph by Honoré Daumier entitled "J'ai beau laver, l'ancienne couleur..." which translates to "However much I wash it, the old color..." The "color" is cut off by the edge. The image is a commentary on the ever-shifting politics of 19th century France. Daumier was a Republican who spent six months in prison for his caricatures of Louis-Philippe. Here, he critiques the Bourbon Restoration, the period after Napoleon's fall when the monarchy was briefly reestablished. In the print, a figure identified as the government, perhaps, is desperately trying to wash a banner labeled "PREMIER DRAPEAU." But what is he trying to erase? The implication is clear: no matter how hard one tries to cleanse or rewrite history, the past always leaves its mark. Daumier invites us to reflect on the futility of erasing history, and the stubborn persistence of collective memory. The emotional weight of this futility is etched into the figure’s weary posture, reminding us of the human cost of political turmoil.