Le mardi gras c. 19th century

This lithograph, Le mardi gras, was made by Honoré Daumier, most likely in the 1840s. Daumier was a master of this printmaking technique, which involves drawing on a flat stone with a greasy crayon, then using chemical processes to prepare the stone for printing. The resulting images, like this one, could be reproduced quickly and in large numbers, making them ideal for newspapers and magazines. Daumier used lithography to create biting social commentary, often lampooning the bourgeoisie. Here, he depicts two figures celebrating Mardi Gras, but their expressions and postures suggest something less than festive revelry. The very nature of lithography – its capacity for mass production – ties it to the social and political issues of the time. Daumier’s genius was to use this industrial medium to critique the very society that produced it, holding a mirror up to the foibles and follies of 19th-century France. It reminds us that even seemingly straightforward images are deeply embedded in their historical context, reflecting the labor, politics, and consumption patterns of their time.