Le Constitutionnel et le Juif errant 1844

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, "Le Constitutionnel et le Juif errant," using stark lines and contrasting values to convey a biting political commentary. The composition directs our gaze to two central figures, sharply characterized through exaggerated features and postures. The figure on the left, labeled "Constitutionnel," appears weighed down by a fool’s cap marked "CONS," suggesting ineptitude or folly. He clutches onto the arm of the "Wandering Jew," whose haggard appearance and unsteady gait indicate a life of displacement and struggle. Daumier utilizes line and shading to emphasize the textures of their clothing and the weary expressions on their faces. This work uses potent visual metaphors to critique the political climate of Daumier's time. The "Constitutionnel" represents a failing political order, desperately clinging to the marginalized "Wandering Jew," a symbol of societal outcasts. The lithograph invites us to consider how power structures can exploit and depend on those they marginalize, revealing a complex interplay of dependence and derision.