Honoré Daumier. Rue Transnonain le 15 de Avril 1834

Honoré Daumier may have created one of the first comics–gruesome though it may be– with the lithograph he created. The romanticized image of the “French government” being killed in their homes, asleep refers to the actual assassination of this family which occured on April 14th, 1834, incited by a riot of the discontent of the masses. Although the image is slightly humorous because of the unflattering depiction of the prominent figure, the view is very solemn and intense overall. The man lying on top of a baby insinuates that his decisions make the young, the next generation, suffer, even as he suffers in the process. The contrast between black and white, as well as the shadows serve to intensify the scene and portray it as harshly as possible.

Eugène Delacroix. Liberty Leading the People

Delaxcroix’s piece, Liberty Leading the People, portrays the French Revolution in a romanticism style meant to inpire encouragment and inspiration in the face of a seemingly overpowering oppressor. Liberty is depicted standing boce the others, holding the French flag, most likely in an attempt to emphasize the importance of the revolution and waht the people believe their country stands for. Her partial nudity represents a break of social norms, while the angry citizens around her fire or aim their weapons, indicating the the battle was just finishing. The positions the members of the government in the painting emphasize their weakness and helplessness against the people, which gives the interested viewer (in this case a citizen) a sense of power over them.

The positions of the members of government are similar to those in Daumier’s lithograph, but perhaps a little less comical. In the first image, the idea is that they are totally unprepared. In the second, they might attempt to fight back but there is no way they will succeed.