Chinese Talking Politics. Thanks to antiquity and the stability of the Constitution of China, this country is extremely unified... it counts only little more than 63 political parties. Quite often one finds Chinese citizens discussing vehemently on public places, using arguments they had prior seen in their favourite journal. Quite often the journal itself will replace the argument, being used as such, plate 20 from Voyage En Chine c. 1844

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, "Chinese Talking Politics," sometime in the mid-19th century. It's part of a series titled "Voyage en Chine," which is ironic considering Daumier never actually visited China. The image depicts a group of caricatured Chinese men heatedly arguing, one even brandishing a newspaper, presumably the source of their debate. Daumier made this print in France. It was a period marked by growing colonial ambitions and a fascination with the "Orient." He's commenting on French society's perception of China. The print reveals more about French attitudes toward a foreign culture than it does about Chinese political discourse. To understand Daumier's work fully, we need to consult sources from the period like newspapers, political cartoons, and travelogues. These resources can shed light on the complex relationship between Europe and China during this era.