Honoré Daumier's 1834 lithograph, "Rue Transnonain, 15 Avril 1834," is a powerful critique of the French government's brutal repression of a worker's uprising in Paris.
The political messages conveyed
The central image of a massacred family, including an infant with its skull split open, lays bare the horrific consequences of state-sanctioned violence against innocent civilians. The stark contrast between the lifeless bodies and the cluttered domestic setting emphasizes the senselessness of the tragedy.
The image was published in "L'Association Mensuelle" in 1834. The sharp contrast between light and shadow accentuates the horror of the scene, drawing the viewer's eye to the victims and amplifies the emotional impact.