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Art History Essay

Decent Essays

Presenter: Welcome. Welcome, to the national radio, bringing you the latest news, and updates. Today we have a special guest speaker, all the way from France... I am happy to present Mr. Daumier, the famous 19th century painter.
Daumier: Bonum mane, hello... It’s a pleasure to be here.

Presenter: Today our fans want to ask you a few questions about some of your paintings and the media you have used.
Daumier: Well of course.
Daumier picks up his water and takes a small sip.

Presenter: The first painting our viewers are interested in, is your print Gargantua.
Daumier clears his throat.
Daumier: Ah yes, one of my finest caricatures.

Presenter: So, Mr. Daumier you are known as the Michelangelo of Caricatures, why is …show more content…

At this time Charles X was dethroned because of attacks on freedom of press. The revolution then brought to power King Louis Philippe who took a direct political role in the revolution, to my surprise…
Presenter: Excuse me Mr. Daumier. You were in France during the time of the revolution, weren’t you?
Daumier: Yes I was, and what I saw really moved me, causing me to take the job of being a political cartoonist. However even with the new king, Louis Philippe, the government's creeping aggression on the freedom of the press influenced my caricatures, particularly after the conquest of Democrat uprisings in 1834. In Gargantua I portray the king as a greedy political exploiter referring to the corruption and ignorance of Louis Philippe. I have positioned the king on top of his throne in the background, eating the taxpayer’s dollars that are delivering then into his open mouth. By using lithograph, it allows myself to leave strong flat white areas, which contrast against the detailed hatched areas, which draws your eyes to the main protagonist, of King Louise, who is sitting upon his throne, with working class men delivering taxpayers dollars to his open mouth. Also by using outlines and darker areas of hatching on the peasant in the foreground and King Louis’s head in the background helps the king stand out. While I place the other citizens who gather around the king’s feet collecting coins and documents in mid-tones, allowing the king to stand out.

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