Preuts Engels gezin op de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1855 1855 - 1856

This lithograph, titled "Preuts Engels gezin op de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1855," was made by Honoré Daumier. The printmaking process is key here. Lithography allowed for the relatively quick and inexpensive reproduction of images, making art more accessible to a wider audience. Daumier's choice of lithography reflects a shift towards mass production and consumption. He used the process to create social commentary, distributed through newspapers and journals. This particular image critiques the hypocrisy of the English middle class at the World's Fair. The rough, almost sketchy quality of the lithograph is a direct result of the drawing process on the lithographic stone, where grease-based crayons were applied to the surface. This gives it an immediacy, a sense of being directly from the artist's hand. Daumier used lithography not just as a means of reproduction but as a tool for democratizing art and engaging in social critique. It allowed him to address the politics, labor, and consumption of his time in a powerful and accessible way, blurring the lines between fine art and popular culture.