The Napoleonic Newspapers Leaving the National Assembly 1848

Curator: This is Honoré Daumier's lithograph, "The Napoleonic Newspapers Leaving the National Assembly." It has a rather sullen air, doesn't it? The figures seem weighed down. Editor: Absolutely, and look at the very graphic quality of the print. The bold lines speak to its direct production method, the lithographic stone a very democratic material. Curator: Daumier was a master of social critique. These newspapers, supportive of Louis-Napoleon, are depicted exiting the assembly after a vote honoring General Cavaignac. Editor: The artist certainly emphasizes a sense of deflation. Consider how he shows them slumping, defeated, each newspaper's name emblazoned like a brand. Curator: Exactly, and note how this print, like many of Daumier's works, engaged directly with contemporary political debates. Editor: It really shows how accessible printmaking was to mass media back then. It gives the news a very tangible form. Curator: It's a reminder of the power dynamics inherent in visual representation. Editor: Indeed, it makes one consider the weight the printed image held.