“- I'll never understand, how these exercises are supposed to ameliorate the condition of a horse..... the only thing that really counts is that the horseman feels good,” plate 1 from Croquis Équestres 1856

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, plate 1 from Croquis Équestres, sometime in the 19th century. Lithography is a printmaking process using a flat stone or metal plate on which the image areas are worked using a greasy substance so that the ink will adhere to them, while the non-image areas are made ink-repellent. Daumier was a master of this technique, which lent itself well to the quick production of satirical images for the popular press. Here, we see a portly gentleman with his companion observing riders in practice. The materiality of the lithograph, with its stark contrasts and grainy texture, lends itself to the biting social commentary that Daumier was known for. The artist is not simply representing a scene but is actively critiquing the privileged class, who seem more concerned with their comfort than with the well-being of the animals they exploit. The relatively quick printmaking processes speak to the rise of industrialization, and how an artist such as Daumier found ways to engage this modern mode of production. By understanding the material and the methods used, we gain insight into the artist's intentions and the broader social context. This challenges the conventional hierarchy between fine art and more “lowly” modes of visual production like prints for newspapers.