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| 1847 Portrait of Daumier by Jean Jacques Feuchère lithograph Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA |
Honoré Daumier was born in Marseilles into the family of a glazier, who was fond of poetry and even wrote his own verses. In 1814, the family moved to Paris. Daumier started to study art in 1822 under the renowned artist and archaeologist Alexandre Lenoir. The financial situation forced Daumier to earn his living as a delivery boy, while at his spare time he sketched at the Louvre. About 1828, he learned the technique of lithography and began to work for small publishing houses. After the revolution of 1830 in the atmosphere of freedom of speech in France the role of mass media grew and the art of political satire flourished. In 1830, Daumier started to work for Philipon’s “Caricature” and “Le Charivari.” Satire against the king Louis-Phillip “Gargantua (1831) brought him wide popularity, especially when he was sentenced to six-months in prison because of it.
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| 1831 Gargantua lithograph published in "La Caricature" |
At the end of the 1840s, Daumier’s interests shifted to painting, though he continued to issue many lithographs. His paintings however differ from his graphic works not only by techniques and artistic media but also by different subjects. Though his lithographic works embrace many themes, it’s impossible to find among them something like “The Burden.” There is no irony in his paintings, in them he is a romantic, fully sympathising with his characters.
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| 1850-53 The Burden ( The Laundress ) oil on canvas 131 x 98 cm The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia |
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| 1848 La République oil on canvas 73 x 60 cm Musée d'Orsay, Paris |
Daumier worked much, he left more than 4000 works of graphics, 300 paintings, 800 drawings, 1000 woodcuts and sculptures. But despite this titanic work he could not make ends meet all his life. He died in the house that had been presented to him by Corot. Corot secretly bought Daumier a house, and wrote to him, “My old comrade – I have a little house for which I had no use at Valmondois near the Isle-Adam. It struck me that I could offer it to you and, as I think it is a good idea, I have registered it in your name at the notary’s. It is not for you that I do this, it is merely to annoy your landlord”. It was a simple gesture, and it gave Daumier a few serene and tranquil years
Daumier, “one of the few Romantic artists who did not shrink from reality”, remained in his day practically unknown as a painter.” During his lifetime he found no public for his work. Only a few friends encouraged him and, a year before his death, arranged his first solo exhibition. Thus his pictures had little impact during his lifetime.
This is part 1 of a major 23-part series on the works of Honoré Daumier:
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| 1830 Two rag traders discuss a print lithograph 37 x 28.6 cm ( sheet ) Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands |
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| 1830c Portrait of a Girl (A. Jeannette ) black chalk on paper |
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| 1831 Dieu ai-je aimé cet être là. hand-coloured lithograph 25 x 33 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
1831 La Caricature (Caricatures):
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| 1832 No.179. Ah! His! Ah! His! Ah! His! lithograph 32 x 25 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1833 Ganil et Lecomte lithograph on newsprint 20.4 x 26 cm ( image ) Museum of Fine Arts, Orleans, France |
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| 1833 No.140. Kssssse! Pedro, Kssssse! Kssssse! Miguel! hand-coloured lithograph 26 x 35 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1833 No.143. Cortège du comandant général des apothicaires, le prince Lancelot de Tricanule, à son entrée dans la chambre des Pairs. hand-cloured lithograph 37 x 55 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1833 No.152. Ah! Tu veux te frotter à la Presse!! lithograph 22.8 x 20.3 cm ( image ) Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pasadena, CA |
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| 1833 No.164. Adolphe Jollivet lithograph 28.2 x 20.3 cm ( image ) Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pasadena, CA |
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| 1833 THI ( Adolphe Thiers ) lithograph on newsprint 31 x 23 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public LIbrary, MA |
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| 1834 No.196. Gros cupide, va! hand-coloured lithograph 37 x 26 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1835 No.217. La Tentation lithograph on white wove paper 22 x 28 cm Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT |
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| 1842 Impressions de voyage d'un grand poète hand-coloured lithograph 20 x 34.2 cm Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pasadena, CA |
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| 1833 22000 francs d'amende lithograph on newsprint 16.7 x 16.5 cm ( image ) Museum of Fine Arts, Orleans, France |
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| 1833 ( Journal No.145. ) 1830 et 1833 lithograph 28 x 37 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1833 A da-da sur mon bidet lithograph on newsprint 22.1 x 25.5 cm ( image ) Museum of Fine Arts, Orleans, France |
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| 1833 Alex Simon Pataille lithograph 29 x 23 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1833 No.5. Coulman en Alsacienne "Mr. Oumaaaannn" hand-coloured lithograph 28 x 19 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1833 No.11. Le député ventrigoulu hand-coloured lithograph 34 x 25 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1833 Le bois est cher et les arts ne vont pas lithograph 23.5 x 28.8 cm Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA |
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| 1833 Mr. Joliv… lithograph on newsprint 31 x 23 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1834 93! 93! C'est l'épouventail du Jobard... wood engraving 24 x 32 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1834 Et pourtant elle marche “Moderne Galiliee” lithograph on heavy wove paper 27.2 x 36.5 cm Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT |
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| 1834 Nous appelons ça une badine...C'est pour badiner lithograph on newsprint 19 x 22.8 cm ( image ) Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pasadena, CA |
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| 1834 Nous nous sommes bien amusés! lithograph 21.8 x 23.6 cm ( image ) National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia |
1835-36 Types Français (French Types):
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| 1835 No.1. Le Petit Clerc, (dit ; Saute-Ruisseau)... lithograph 32.3 x 24.5 cm Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1835 No.2. Le Tailleur. Il marche cambré, les épaules en porte-manteau... lithograph Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1835 No.6. Le Banquier lithograph with hand colouring Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA |
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| 1835-36 No.10. Le Cuisinier. Le Cuisinier est un article d'exportation Française... hand-coloured lithograph |
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| 1835-36 No.8. le Petite Rentier hand-coloured lithograph |
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| 1836 No.11. Le Restaurateur. Ce Monsieur qui essuye les tables... lithograph 35.8 x 27.7 cm ( image ) Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1836 No.17. Le Rapin. Méprise la foule qui rit de ses cheveux graisseux... lithograph 35.8 x 28.3 cm Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1836 No.18. Le Charcutier. L'action du feu sur le physique du Charcutier... lithograph 36.2 x 27.8 cm Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
1836-37 Galerie physionomique (Physiognomic Gallery):
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| 1836 No.2. La potion hand-coloured lithograph 30 x 25 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public LIbrary, MA |
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| 1836 No.4. L’amateur d’huitres colour lithograph 30 x 25 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1836 No.5. Le bon morceau colour lithograph 30 x 25 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1837 No.7. La renommée des glaces colour lithograph 36 x 27 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
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| 1837 No.9 Le vrai Fumeur / The True Smoker colour lithograph |
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| 1837 No.12 Encore une heure!! / One Hour again!! colour lithograph 37 x 26 cm ( sheet ) Boston Public Library, MA |
1836 Les Plaisirs de l'Hiver (The Pleasures of Winter):
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| 1836 No.2. La Pluie lithograph 28.6 x 22.3 cm ( image ) Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1836 No.3. Le Vent lithograph 28.5 x 22.3 cm Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1836 No.4. Le Feu lithograph 28.5 x 22.2 cm ( image ) Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
1836-43 Types Parisiens (Parisien Types):
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| 1839 No.11. Vous raisonnez comme une canne ! .. lithograph 17.8 x 35.8 cm (image ) Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1839 No.12. Douze ans et demi et trois premiers prix. Heireux Parents!.. hand coloured lithograph |
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| 1839 No.13. Le Vieux Pècheur. Le pècheur à la ligne est l'homme indépendent... lithograph 27.3 x 36 cm ( image ) Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1839 No.18. 2000 fr ... sans écurie ni remise, ça ne me convient pas !... lithograph 27.8 x 35.8 cm Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1839 No.21. Oui Monsieur vous n'êtes pas de Paris... lithograph 27.8 x 35.8 cm ( image ) Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1839 No.29. Désagrément de causer avec les gens qui ont la manie de mettre le récit en action... lithograph 27.3 x 36.2 cm ( image ) Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1839 No.30. - Mon Dieu ! m’ame Bombec, qué que vous avez donc attrapé ?... lithograph 27.6 x 35.6 cm ( image ) Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1839 No.31. Tout est Payé? Nous n'avons fait sottise a personne!!… Salut. lithograph 26.6 x 34 cm Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1842-43 No.34. Ça vous coiffe comme un gant ! lithograph 26.4 x 34.4 cm ( image ) Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1842-43 No.43. Voilà ! t'es devenu rentier, moi medecin... lithograph 27.2 x 35.6 cm Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1842-43 No.46. Garçon, qu'est-ce que c'est que ça ? ... lithograph 27.5 x 35.7 cm ( image ) Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |
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| 1842-43 No.48. Faut de la prudence père Balivot... lithograph Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris |