New Shape for a Bell Proposed by le Charivari to call back the National ssembly that the Territorial Army is yet to liberate. 1872

Curator: Looking at this lithograph by Honoré Daumier, it strikes me how effectively he uses simple imagery to convey a complex political message. Editor: The composition is stark. A helmet sits heavily on a desk, while a pointing finger adds a note of accusation. There's a sense of weighted expectation. Curator: Indeed. Titled "New Shape for a Bell Proposed by le Charivari to call back the National Assembly that the Territorial Army is yet to liberate," it speaks volumes about the political climate of the time. Editor: A bell, of course, is meant to call to action. But here, the helmet suggests the summons is falling on deaf ears. The territorial army's inability to liberate is mocked. Curator: Precisely. It's a powerful symbol of governmental inaction and a potent example of Daumier's satirical prowess. The helmet is a symbol of military might, repurposed into an implement of shame. Editor: And the placement on the desk—it suggests a bureaucracy weighed down by its own failures. It's a very clever, very pointed piece. Curator: Absolutely. The image is a reminder that even the simplest of symbols can hold immense political weight. Editor: It makes you wonder how often symbols of power become symbols of what has been lost.