A True Art Lover, plate 66 from Les Bons Bourgeois
Medium
Lithograph in black on white wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 25.7 × 20 cm (10 1/8 × 7 7/8 in.); Sheet: 35.9 × 27.6 cm (14 3/16 × 10 7/8 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
96193
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Daumier often employed the print medium for satire and comedy. The magnifying glass which the art lover holds is a sign of his myopia; his misplaced attention to tiny details makes him incapable of seeing the whole. The serious, contemplative figure in the adjoining painting by Daumier stands in contrast to this pompous, self-styled art critic.
About the Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier · 1808–1879
Honoré-Victorin Daumier (1808-1879) was a prolific French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor whose works offered incisive commentary on the social and political life of 19th-century France. Known as the 'Michelangelo of Caricature,' Daumier produced over 4,000 lithographs, 500 paintings, 1,000 drawings, and 100 sculptures during his lifetime. His biting political satire led to his imp...