L'ours du nord, le plus désagréable de tous les ours connus c. 1854

"L'Ours du nord, le plus désagréable de tous les ours connus" (The Bear of the North, the Most Unpleasant of All Known Bears) is a lithograph created by Honoré Daumier circa 1854. This satirical caricature depicts a crowned bear wielding a sword and a torch, standing over a crowd of kneeling figures. Daumier's artwork, known for its social commentary, likely criticizes Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, who was perceived as a tyrant, and alludes to the ongoing Crimean War. The stark contrast between the bear's menacing figure and the submissive figures below emphasizes the artist's political message.