Les réjouissances de Juillet... vues de Ste. Pélagie 1834

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, "Les réjouissances de Juillet... vues de Ste. Pélagie," using stark contrasts of black ink on paper. We see a group of figures pressed against a barred window, their gaze drawn upwards. The dense shadow and the rigid vertical lines of the bars create a palpable sense of confinement, a visual metaphor for the lack of freedom. Daumier uses the balloon as a symbol of liberty. Its rounded form is in stark opposition to the architecture. Note how he marks the balloon with the dates 27, 28, and 29—dates which refer to the July Revolution of 1830. Yet, the figures' confinement within the prison suggests the revolution's promises remain unfulfilled, highlighting the disparity between the ideals of freedom and the reality of oppression. The composition, divided sharply between the dark interior and the bright, unreachable sky, underscores this duality. The balloon, a signifier of hope, is ironically viewed from a place of captivity. The artwork thus challenges the established narrative of liberation, offering a critical perspective on the socio-political climate of the time, a perspective shaped by Daumier's formal arrangement of line, light, and shadow.