Newspaper Lithographs by Honoré Daumier: Social Satire in the Nineteenth Century

Honoré Daumier
(French, 1808-1879)
Hippolyte lardé par Cupidon
(Hippolytus Struck by Cupid)
from the Ancient History series
Published in Le Charivari, 1842
Lithograph
(76.44.12)
Gift of Barbara S. Bolling and Deborah S. Booker in memory of Arthur Mills Stratton

This yearlong exhibition presented images from three print series by Honoré Daumier (1808–1879). Created for the French newspaper, Le Charivari, these prints mocked aspects of French life and culture. The exhibition presented images from three series that appeared between 1839 and the mid 1840s: L’histoire ancienne (Ancient History), Les bohémiens de Paris (Bohemians of Paris), and Ėtrangers á Paris (Foreigners in Paris). The lithographs from the ancient history series, shown from June 16–October 21, 2001, mocked neoclassical art, academic taste, and the conservative establishment. Eleven lithographs from the Bohemian series were shown from October 23, 2001–February 24, 2002. In the mid-nineteenth century, the term "Bohemian" was used to characterize the misfits and outcasts of urban society. Daumier’s comic and poignant representations of these people implicitly criticized the French government’s lack of concern for the plight of the poor.

Copyright © 2011 The Curators of the University of Missouri | DMCA | all rights reserved
An equal opportunity/affirmative action institution

Museum of Art and Archaeology | College of Arts and Science | University of Missouri
1 Pickard Hall | Columbia, MO 65211-1420 | phone: 573-882-3591 | fax: 573-884-4039 | Email the museum
accredited by the American Association of Museums