La dêroute! c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, titled 'La Déroute!', in France, in 1850. It satirizes the outcome of an election held on March 10th. Daumier comments on the instability of French politics after the 1848 revolution. The image shows the defeated, caricatured politicians scrambling to escape the scene. They are fleeing from a giant ballot box topped with a three-faced head, which symbolizes duplicity or the multifaceted nature of political maneuvering. This was made during the time when the medium of lithography became popular due to the rise of print culture and mass media and Daumier brilliantly used this medium to voice his opposition. Daumier’s work often appeared in journals like "Le Charivari," engaging directly with contemporary political events. His art is inseparable from the social and institutional context of 19th-century France. Historians consult archives of periodicals, political pamphlets, and election results to fully understand the nuances of Daumier’s critiques. The meaning of his art is deeply embedded in its time.