Abstract:
he continuous crisis in government caused Daumier to question the credibility of the French politicians.
In this print the following honourable members of government are portrayed: D'Argout, Thiers, Persil, Gauthier, Soult, Guizot, Viennet, de Rigny and the King. It was Daumier's conviction that these figures of the recent July Monarch should rather hang at the gallows instead of being at the Panthéon.
The Panthéon is a temple in Paris where great people of the Nation are buried. On the front wall is written: "To the great men and women, our country is grateful". This lithograph shows people hanging in front of the Panthéon, and may be a way to illustrate how "grateful" the country is to the actual government, judiciary and army. The Panthéon had just been converted from a church to a mausoleum for great Frenchmen. In Daumier's opinion, contemporary Government officials should be honoured there... by being hung.
