Les Augures de l'Empire... 1850

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, Les Augures de l'Empire..., using ink on paper, with the aim of making a biting commentary on French politics. Daumier produced this work in a France undergoing considerable upheaval. Here we see an allusion to ancient Roman practices of divination, where priests would interpret the flight of birds to foresee the future. But the joke is that the "sacred ducks" in the cage are clearly dead, and the "constitutionnel" paper suggests the end of constitutionalism. The setting in front of the "Assemblée Nationale" further suggests that the French government is doomed. Daumier's satirical imagery relies on the visual codes of classical antiquity, mocking the pretensions and failures of contemporary French political institutions. To fully understand the social and political commentary in this artwork, we must examine the historical context in which it was created, analyzing newspapers, political pamphlets, and other resources to explore the institutional critique Daumier presents.