Karikatuur van Ariadne op het eiland Naxos 1842

This lithograph of Ariadne on the island of Naxos was created by Honoré Daumier in the 19th century. Lithography is a printmaking process using a flat stone or metal plate on which the design is worked using a greasy substance. Ink sticks to the drawing and is transferred to paper. Daumier was a master of this technique, using it to create images with a powerful sense of immediacy and social critique. The velvety blacks and subtle gradations of tone are characteristic of lithography at its best. But this wasn't fine art for art's sake; Daumier was a working artist, producing prints for mass consumption. These images appeared in newspapers and journals, commenting on the political and social issues of the day. In this context, even a classical subject like Ariadne becomes a vehicle for Daumier's sharp wit and critical eye, implicating the viewer in the consumption of both art and social commentary. The inherent qualities of lithography – its reproducibility and accessibility – are thus inseparable from the work's meaning.