The production of over 4,000 lithographs and 500 paintings defined the career of Honoré Daumier, a French visual artist whose work chronicled social and political life from the 1830 Revolution through the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870. Based in Paris, he occupied roles as a caricaturist, illustrator, engraver, sculptor, and architectural drafter.
Early Development and Training
Born in 1808 in Marseille, Daumier moved to Paris in 1816. After entering the workforce at age twelve as an errand boy for a huissier de justice, he eventually secured a position at a bookstore. This environment allowed him to engage with the art community. By 1822, he began training under Alexandre Lenoir and later attended the Académie Suisse. During this period, he learned lithography, a technique that facilitated his transition into professional illustration and advertisement work.
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Daumier became a prominent contributor to satirical publications including La Caricature, Le Charivari, and La Silhouette. His political output was marked by sharp critiques of the monarchy, particularly King Louis Philippe I. Following the 1832 publication of his caricature Gargantua, Daumier was sentenced to several months in prison. His political output continued until the introduction of the September Laws in 1835, which constrained press freedom and forced his work toward more oblique or social commentary.
Artistic Evolution and Realism
While Daumier gained recognition as a caricaturist, he pursued painting as a serious pursuit. Associated with the realism movement, he produced notable works such as The Third-Class Carriage and the sculpture Ratapoil. Although he held a contract with Le Charivari, his paintings frequently went ignored by mainstream critics at the Parisian Salon. Despite this, his peers valued his creative output, and he maintained a prolific pace across multiple mediums throughout his life.
Later Years and Recognition
In his later decades, Daumier faced financial instability, debt, and failing eyesight while residing in areas including Montmartre and Valmondois. Despite these hardships, he continued producing lithographs and paintings, often focusing on themes related to Don Quixote. The French Third Republic awarded him a pension in 1877. He died in February 1879 at Valmondois, shortly after receiving significant public recognition for a major exhibition of his paintings in Paris.
Fast facts
- Born: 1808, Marseille
- Died: 1879, Valmondois
- Citizenship: France
- Movement: Realism
- Primary medium: Lithography
- Burial site: Grave of Honoré Daumier
- Notable sculpture: Ratapoil
- Notable painting: The Third-Class Carriage
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Daumier satirize?
He focused on the monarchy, aristocracy, judiciary, politicians, police, and various segments of the bourgeoisie.
Did Daumier achieve success as a painter during his life?
His paintings were largely overlooked by the public and critics, though he was admired by fellow artists.
Achievements
- Notable work: Ratapoil
- Notable work: The Third-Class Carriage
- Movement: realism
