Daumier, Rue Transnonain
- Denise Laurin
- Oct 20
- 2 min read
At first glance, we could think this is a comical scene of some tipsy reveler who has just fallen off his chair. Looking deeper, we see that in Rue Transnonain, Daumier was deadly serious.
The artist depicted a horrific event that occurred during a period of civil unrest related to protests about the repression of silk workers in Lyon. On that night, soldiers of the civil guard claimed shots rang out from the top of the apartment building on the corner of Rue Transnonain and Rue de Montmorency. Looking for those who were guilty, the soldiers barged into apartments randomly killing many innocent residents.
Without the benefit of iPhones, or social media, Daumier set out to document the massacre using realism, value contrast, dramatic light, and four representative victims, including a toddler whose head and hands emerge from beneath the central figure. Instead of portraying the moment of violence, Daumier invites us to look upon the stark reality of the aftermath. This approach communicates the event powerfully and profoundly.
Having recently participated in a political protest myself, I shudder to think of losing our rights of peaceful assembly and the possibility of being hunted down because our beliefs are at odds with those in power. Daumier knew the risk he took to bring this image to the public, but it was too important to him not to take it. The lithograph was published the following day. Daumier and his publisher Philipon avoided prosecution, however, after the image was published, the government passed a new law restricting freedom of the press and political caricature.
To receive my weekly blogs via email, keep informed of my upcoming presentations and exhibitions, discounts on art-related products and giveaways, please subscribe at: www.deniselaurinvisualart.com/
Sources: Dr. Claire Black McCoy, "Rue Transnonain" in Smarthistory, October 8, 2020, accessed October 20, 2025. https://smarthistory.org/daumier-rue-transnonain/
Frank, Patrick, Prebles Artforms. Pearson. 2014. page 137
Comments