Enfoncé Lafayette! Attrape, mon vieux! - Honoré Daumier

A biting 1834 political lithograph by Honoré Daumier, mocking the political disillusionment following the July Revolution in France.

This lithograph by Honoré Daumier, titled 'Enfoncé Lafayette! Attrape, mon vieux!', serves as a biting piece of political commentary from 1834. Published in 'L'Association mensuelle', the work captures the disillusionment felt by many French citizens following the July Revolution of 1830. The central figure, a stout man in a top hat, stands in a graveyard, his hands pressed to his face in a gesture that mimics mourning but conveys mockery. He stands before a grave marked with a cross, addressing the deceased Marquis de Lafayette.

Daumier uses the medium of lithography to achieve a high degree of tonal variation, allowing for the stark contrast between the foreground figure and the distant, crowded funeral procession. The composition is structured to draw the eye from the cynical figure in the foreground to the solemn, distant scene of the burial. The title, which translates roughly to 'Done for, Lafayette! Take that, old man!', reflects the artist's critique of the political establishment and the perceived betrayal of revolutionary ideals by the new regime of Louis-Philippe.

As a master of the satirical print, Daumier utilised his skill to expose the hypocrisy of the ruling class. His ability to render character through exaggerated physical traits is evident here, as the central figure's posture and attire suggest a lack of genuine grief. The work remains a primary example of the power of the press in nineteenth-century France, where lithography provided a medium for rapid dissemination of political dissent. This print offers a window into the tensions of the era, capturing the cynicism that permeated public discourse during a period of significant social change.