Horticulturists of Nanterre tiptoeing at midnight towards the cactus grandiflorus in order to surprise it in its blossoming, plate 323 from Actualités 1856

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, plate 323 from Actualités, using ink on paper. Lithography, unlike traditional engraving, is a planographic process, meaning the artist works on a flat surface, in this case, a stone or metal plate. Daumier would have drawn his image with a greasy crayon or ink, then treated the stone so that ink adhered only to the drawn areas, allowing him to create multiple prints. The resulting image has a soft, tonal quality, which you can see particularly in the figures' clothing, with their many fine lines and densely packed areas of shading. This contrasts with the bright spots of the lanterns. The printing process was becoming increasingly important in the 19th century, allowing images and information to be disseminated quickly and widely. Daumier used it to great effect, creating satirical commentaries on French society. He embraced this relatively new medium for distribution in popular journals, and his works offer insights into the social and political issues of his time. It highlights the way that materials, making, and context come together, and challenges the traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.