Mr. Prudhomme: “There you are again, my son... another innocent victim of the murderous lead.... poor little duck... pray, you never shall become a hunter, my son!” Young Adolph: “But Daddy, I'd rather like to be a hunter than a dead duck!,” plate 13 from Émotions De Chasse 1858

This lithograph by Honoré Daumier, dates from 19th century France. Daumier was a master of lithography, a printmaking technique that relies on the chemical repulsion of oil and water. The artist would draw on a limestone slab with a greasy crayon, then treat the stone so that ink would only adhere to the drawn areas. The resulting prints, like this one, could then be produced in large numbers. Look closely, and you can see the subtle tonalities and textures achieved through this process. But Daumier was not just interested in the technical possibilities of lithography. He was also acutely aware of its social implications. As a widely accessible and reproducible medium, lithography allowed artists to reach a broad audience, making it an ideal vehicle for political satire and social commentary. This print is a commentary on bourgeois values and class distinctions, using the material and the process to amplify its message.