Honoré Daumier

Daumier, Honoré Victorin
Daumier, Honoré-Victorin

French, 1808 - 1879

Explore selected works

See all 2,406 works of art
A young and older man, both with pale skin, stand next to each other in shadowy room looking at a piece of white paper held by the older man in this vertical painting. Light from the upper left falls across the men, and they take up most of the height of the composition. The paper is held by a balding, elderly man at the center of the painting. He wears a knee-length, dark brown jacket and trousers. His has a gray beard and hair, and thin black lines delineate his brows and trace the creases on his face. A younger man standing to our left has short black hair and ruddy skin. He tilts his head to gaze at the paper in the older man’s hands. The younger man wears a sage-green jacket, and his lower body is partially hidden by a wooden rack before him. The V-shaped rack supports an open, dark green portfolio folder, and the young man rests his hands on the edges of more sheets of paper there. There are two paintings hanging on the olive-green wall of the room to each side of the men, but they are loosely painted and deep in shadow, so the subjects are difficult to make out. Another aquamarine-blue folder rests against a red bed or sofa that runs along the back wall. A white, folded cloth sits on the sofa above the portfolio. The artist signed the lower left, “h. Daumier.”
Honoré Daumier, Advice to a Young Artist, 1865/1868, oil on canvas, Gift of Duncan Phillips, 1941.6.1

Advice to a Young Artist

Honoré Daumier · 1865/1868 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1941.6.1

This painting shows a crowd of seated people facing the right, mostly seen from the waist up. The people are seated in rows of red seats, and closest to us is a row of four people. In the bottom left corner is a child with very short dark hair and a dark brown coat over a white collar. To the right is a woman with dark hair in an updo and adorned with what looks like a blue ribbon, and she wears a dark dress with a white ruffled collar and white cuffs. Next to her is a man with a mustache and balding head, dressed in a formal dark suit. To the far right is another woman with a light blue-gray dress or coat and short, light-colored hair with a bow or ribbon. More people are partially visible in the rows behind, but their features become increasingly soft and blurred towards the background. All of the people appear to have light skin, although some of the people on the left side and in the back appear to be in shadow, making it ambiguous.
Honoré Daumier, French Theater, c. 1856, oil on wood, Chester Dale Collection, 1963.10.13

French Theater

Honoré Daumier · c. 1856 · oil on wood ·  Accession ID  1963.10.13

This free-standing bronze sculpture shows a thin man wearing a tall, crumpled hat, an ill-fitting coat, and worn shoes, standing and leaning on a long cudgel resembling a cane. His body faces us in this photograph, and he looks over his shoulder to our right in profile. His goatee is so exaggerated that it creates a beak-like form reaching almost to his chest beneath an upward sweeping mustache that is wider than his face. He has a bull-like nose and bulging eyes, and he might be bald. The top of his tall hat seems to have been partially crushed, and it curves away from us. His double-breasted, knee-length coat has a high collar, and it sweeps open over his hips. His left hand, on our right, holds the coat open so he can slip that hand into his pants pocket. He holds and leans onto the long cudgel on our left so his hips sway to our right. His long pants cover thin legs, and his toes poke through the front of his tattered shoes. The low, square base he stands on is textured as if roughly modeled before being cast. The sculpture is shown against a fog-gray background.
Honoré Daumier, Ratapoil, model 1851, cast c. 1891, bronze, Rosenwald Collection, 1951.17.3

Ratapoil

Honoré Daumier · model 1851, cast c. 1891 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1951.17.3

The sculpture is a relief featuring multiple human figures walking and engaging with each other. The figures are of various sizes and include men, women, and children. They are depicted in dynamic postures, with some figures carrying smaller figures or objects. The sculpture is crafted in a dark brown material resembling bronze. The figures suggest motion and interaction, with limited facial detail. The relief is set against a textured background of the same material, creating depth. The piece is rectangular and bordered, framing the scene within it.
Honoré Daumier, Fugitives (Emigrants), model c. 1850/1852, cast 1893, bronze, Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.25

Fugitives (Emigrants)

Honoré Daumier · model c. 1850/1852, cast 1893 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1943.3.25

The sculpture is a bust of a man with a beard and wrinkled skin. The man has a long nose, deep-set eyes, and thinning hair. He appears to be wearing a jacket with a high collar. The sculpture has a rough surface, with lots of visible marks.
Honoré Daumier, Alfred-Frédéric-Pierre, Comte de Falloux, model possibly 1848/1850, cast 1929/1940, bronze, Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.23

Alfred-Frédéric-Pierre, Comte de Falloux

Honoré Daumier · model possibly 1848/1850, cast 1929/1940 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1943.3.23

An older man, a woman, and a child who holds a chair upside-down on his head stand near each other in this vertical painting, which is made with dabs and strokes of muted grays, cream white, and golden tan. The scene is lit from our right, creating deep shadows. At the center of the composition, the man has light gray skin and he stands with his body angled slightly to our left, as he looks in that direction. His eyes are shaded and he has a round nose over a mouth mostly covered in shadow. His hat has two peaks like rounded horns and a smoke-gray scarf wraps around his neck. He wears a loose, cream-white shirt under a slate-blue jacket, and dark pants. His feet are loosely painted so it is difficult to tell if he is barefoot or if his shoes are sketchily painted. A rolled-up mat held under one arm and a small wooden box held with the other hand are loosely painted and nearly lost in shadow. To our right, just behind the man, the child wears a parchment-white, full body leotard with long sleeves and pants. His pale peach-colored hands grip the ladder back of the chair, which rests upside down on his head and casts his face into shadow. To our left, the woman is mostly in shadow. A peach-colored oval suggests her face and she wears a dark garment, perhaps a shawl, over a coffee-brown, ankle-length skirt. Her weight rests on her right foot, to our left, and she holds a large drum by her other side. The background is painted indistinctly with an area of bone white in the upper left corner, which stretches nearly across the composition along the top. Most of the rest is darker sand brown with a small patch of turquoise-blue paint near the upper right corner.
Honoré Daumier, Wandering Saltimbanques, 1847/1850, oil on wood, Chester Dale Collection, 1963.10.14

Wandering Saltimbanques

Honoré Daumier · 1847/1850 · oil on wood ·  Accession ID  1963.10.14

The sculpture depicts a bust of a man with distinct facial features. The man appears to be wearing a textured garment. The sculpture is made of dark bronze material, giving it a metallic sheen. The sculpture is life-sized and features realistic proportions, capturing the nuances of the man's expression and attire with intricately carved details.
Honoré Daumier, Jean-Charles Persil, model c. 1832/1835, cast 1929/1940, bronze, Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.15

Jean-Charles Persil

Honoré Daumier · model c. 1832/1835, cast 1929/1940 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1943.3.15

The sculpture depicts the bust of a man with rugged facial structure and textured surface. The figure is adorned in a formal coat with a high collar. The sculpture is rendered in a dark bronze color. The bust appears solid with slightly rough texture. The facial features are pronounced, with an open mouth and focused gaze. The bust rests on a simple base.
Honoré Daumier, André-Marie-Jean-Jacques Dupin Aîné, model c. 1832/1835, cast 1929/1930, bronze, Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.10

André-Marie-Jean-Jacques Dupin Aîné

Honoré Daumier · model c. 1832/1835, cast 1929/1930 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1943.3.10

The sculpture depicts a human figure in a pose of resting or contemplation, with its head leaning to one side and supported by its hand. Made of dark, brownish material, possibly bronze, it features a rugged texture with rough patches and detailed creases accentuating the figure's facial features and clothing. The piece has an unfinished appearance, with an unevenly polished surface, giving it an organic and naturalistic look. The sculpture is relatively small, suggesting it could be a tabletop or small display piece.
Honoré Daumier, Auguste Gady, model c. 1832/1835, cast 1929/1950, bronze, Rosenwald Collection, 1951.17.10

Auguste Gady

Honoré Daumier · model c. 1832/1835, cast 1929/1950 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1951.17.10

The sculpture is a bust representing a man's head and upper torso. The subject features a face with distinct facial features, including a broad forehead, prominent nose, and a solemn expression, accentuated by deep lines and furrows in the brow and cheeks. The material is a dark bronze, giving it a rich, earthy brown color with a slightly glossy surface that captures reflections of light. The sculpture presents a rugged and textured surface, with roughly hewn details that emphasize a sense of weight and solidity.
Honoré Daumier, Félix Barthe, model c. 1832/1835, cast 1929/1930, bronze, Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.5

Félix Barthe

Honoré Daumier · model c. 1832/1835, cast 1929/1930 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1943.3.5

Bibliography

1865

  • Champfleury [pseud. Jules François Félix Husson]. Histoire de la caricature moderne. Paris, 1865.

1878

  • Champfleury [pseud. Jules François Félix Husson]. "Honoré Daumier." Exposition des peintures et dessins de H. Daumier. Exh. cat. Galeries Durand-Ruel, Paris, 1878: 1-45.

  • Montrosier, Eugène. "La Caricature politique: Honoré Daumier." L'Art 2 (1878): 31.

1888

  • Alexandre, Arsène. Honoré Daumier, l'homme et l'oeuvre. Paris, 1888.

1901

  • Geffroy, Gustave. Daumier. Paris, 1901.

1905

  • Geffroy, Gustave. "Daumier Sculpteur." L'Art et les artistes I (1905): 101-108.

1906

  • Delteil, 1906 (Daumier).

1923

  • Escholier, Raymond. Daumier, peintre et lithographe. Paris, 1923.

  • Klossowski, Erich. Honoré Daumier. Munich, 1923.

1930

  • Escholier, Raymond. Daumier, peintre et lithographie. Paris, 1930.

  • Fuchs, Eduard. Der Maler Daumier. Munich, 1930.

1932

  • Bouvy, Eugène. Trente-six bustes de H. Daumier. Paris, 1932.

1945

  • Courthion, Pierre. Daumier, raconté par lui-même et par ses amis. Geneva, 1945.

1952

  • Gobin, Maurice. Daumier Sculpteur, 1808-1879. Geneva, 1952.

1954

  • Adhémar, Jean. Honoré Daumier. Paris, 1954.

1961

  • Bowness, Alan, and Karl Eric Maison. Daumier: Paintings and Drawings. Exh. cat. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961.

1966

  • Larkin, Oliver W. Daumier: A Man of His Time. New York, 1966.

1968

  • Vincent, Howard P. Daumier and His World. Evanston, 1968.

  • Maison, Karl Eric. Honoré Daumier, Catalogue Raisonné of the Paintings, Watercolors, and Drawings. 2 vols. Greenwich, 1968 (Vol. 1: The Paintings; Vol. 2: The Watercolors and Drawings).

1969

  • Wasserman, Jeanne L., assisted by Joan M. Lukach and Arthur Beale. Daumier Sculpture: A Critical and Comparative Study. Exh. cat. Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1969.

1974

  • Angrand, Pierre. "L'Administration des Beaux-Arts et l'Oeuvre de Daumier." La Pensée 177 (September-October 1974): 97-110.

1979

  • Lecomte, Marcel. Daumier Sculpteur: Les figurines et les autres sculptures. Exh. cat. Galerie Marcel Lecomte, Paris, 1979.

  • Cherpin, Jean. Daumier et la sculpture. Paris, 1979.

  • Passeron, Roger. Daumier. Témoin de son temps. Fribourg, 1979.

1982

  • Clark, T.J. The Absolute Bourgeois. Artists and Politics in France 1848-1851. Princeton, 1982.

  • Wechsler, Judith. A Human Comedy: Physiognomy and Caricature in 19th Century France. Chicago, 1982.

1983

  • Wasserman, Jeanne L., Jacques de Caso, and Jean Adhémar. "Hypothèses sur les sculptures de Daumier." Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 6th per. 101 (February 1983): 57-80.

1989

  • Provost, Louis. Honoré Daumier. A Thematic Guide to the Oeuvre. Elizabeth C. Childs, ed. New York, 1989.

  • Childs, Elizabeth C. Honoré Daumier and the Exotic Vision: Studies in French Caricature and Culture, 1830-1870. Ph.D. diss., Columbia University. Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1989.

1990

  • Powell, Kirsten, and Elizabeth C. Childs. Femmes d'esprit. Women in Daumier's Caracture. Exh. cat. Christian A. Johnson Memorial Gallery, Middlebury College, Vermont, 1990.

1991

  • Laughton, Bruce W. The Drawings of Daumier and Millet. New Haven, 1991.

1992

  • Ives, Colta, Margret Stuffmann, and Martin Sonnabend. Daumier Drawings. Exh. cat. Städelsche Kunstinstitut and Städtische Galerie, Frankfurt; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. New York, 1992.

1996

  • Laughton, Bruce W. Honoré Daumier. New Haven, 1996.

1999

  • Papet, Edouard. 4 essays. In Daumier 1808-1879. Exh. cat. Musée des Beaux-Arts du Canada, Ottawa; Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Paris; The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. Paris, 1999: 46-59, 84-161, 282-287, 288-295.

2000

  • Butler, Ruth, and Suzanne Glover Lindsay, with Alison Luchs, Douglas Lewis, Cynthia J. Mills, and Jeffrey Weidman. European Sculpture of the Nineteenth Century. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 2000: 117-119.

  • Eitner, Lorenz. French Paintings of the Nineteenth Century, Part I: Before Impressionism. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 2000: 150-153.