Eléves de sixième voulant jouer aux rhétoriciens c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, “Sixth Graders Wanting to Play Rhetoricians,” using a greasy crayon on a slab of limestone, printing it on paper. Lithography was the perfect medium for Daumier, allowing him to rapidly reproduce his images for mass consumption in newspapers. This printing technique mirrors the social context of 19th-century France, marked by rapid industrialization and the rise of the bourgeoisie, which he skewers in his works. The lithographic process, a commercial technique, democratized art, making it accessible to a wider audience. The very act of creating a print from stone connects the artwork to the labor involved in quarrying, transporting, and preparing the material. Daumier’s skilled hand, in translating his observations onto the lithographic stone, highlights a transition from traditional art practices to modern methods of communication and social critique. So, by considering the materiality and means of production, we gain a deeper appreciation of Daumier’s role as both an artist and a commentator on his changing society.