Gros Cupide, va! 1834

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, Gros Cupide, va!, using a greasy crayon on a stone matrix. It’s a process that democratized image-making in the 19th century. Here, the quality of the line is everything. Notice how the artist coaxes a full range of tones from the stone, from velvety blacks to crisp whites. Daumier coaxes out soft tonalities by varying his pressure. Cross-hatching creates form and shadow. The lithographic technique enabled Daumier to address pressing social and political concerns quickly. His caricatures reflect the rise of consumer culture and the emergence of a bourgeoisie eager to display its wealth. The corpulent figure in this print, with his elaborate uniform and self-satisfied expression, becomes a symbol of excess. Lithography democratized printmaking by making images like this more accessible than hand-engraved prints. In the end, Gros Cupide, va! is a testament to the power of a single material, and a single process, used to great social effect.