“Thy hand cometh to slay Britannicus, thy brother. I foresee thy blows will soon hit thy mother,” plate 7 from Physionomies Tragico-Classiques Possibly 1841

This lithograph was made by Honoré Daumier, using the traditional printmaking technique of drawing on a stone with a greasy crayon, then transferring the image to paper. The rough, grainy texture we see is a direct result of this process, which allowed Daumier to create multiple copies of his image quickly and relatively cheaply. This was important, because Daumier was a satirist, and his work was intended for mass consumption. He wanted to reach as many people as possible with his critiques of French society, often focusing on political corruption and the abuses of power. Lithography also allowed Daumier to capture a sense of immediacy and spontaneity in his drawings. He could work quickly, making changes and adjustments as he went along. You can see this in the bold lines and exaggerated features of the figures, which give the image a sense of energy and urgency. In the end, Daumier chose lithography, as the possibilities for mass production allowed his artwork to be tied to wider social issues of politics, labor, and consumption.