Honoré Daumier: Liberté de la Presse - Ne vous y frottez pas! (Freedom of the Press - Don't you meddle with it!), 1834. Lithograph on chine appliqué (on wove paper) without centrefold, 43.4 x 31.4 cm (stone). Published in March 1834 in the special edition ‘L'Association mensuelle pour la liberté de la presse’ of the magazine ‘Le Charivari’, published by Charles Philipon and Gabriel Aubert (printer). Reference: Delteil and Daumier Register 133. The Daumier Register lists in both important private and museum collections only two copies on chine appliqué and two copies without the usual vertical and horizontal centre folds. Our copy is therefore a real rarity!
‘The proceeds of this edition were supposed to pay for the numerous law cases, which the French Government imposed against 'Le Charivari'. The monthly dividend for the shareholders consisted of a lithograph, which they could acquire for 1 Franc. Apart from some rare samples on China paper, the print was otherwise not for sale. [...] DR 133 [the subject at hand] together with 134, 131, and 135 is considered to represent the most important prints made by Daumier. In this lithograph, a printer actively defends the freedom of the press, which is being threatened by Louis-Philippe. The Republican Barrot, pushed by Minister of Justice Persil, tries to detain the King from introducing censorship. Experience with press censorship had earlier, under Charles X, led to the July Revolution of 1830. The King, lying on the ground, is Charles X, supported by the later Austrian Emperor Ferdinand I. A third king escapes with money bags (into exile?). The warning seems to be obvious: press censorship will lead to revolution and ending of the monarchy. This print has always been a collector's favourite. It was present in the most important collections, such as Champfleury, Malherbe, Degas, Hazard etc. Consequently, its market value went up dramatically at the end of the 19th century...’ (quoted from “The Daumier Register”)
