The Three Connoisseurs
after 1869
Medium
Pen and black ink, with brush and black and gray wash, over traces of charcoal, on ivory wove paper (discolored to cream)
Dimensions
49.3 × 39.2 cm (19 7/16 × 15 7/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
151549
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier, a master of 19th-century French caricature and Realism, created *The Three Connoisseurs after 1869, in his career as he grappled with failing eyesight. Renowned for his biting social commentary through thousands of lithographs and drawings published in satirical journals like *La Caricature*,umier often lampooned the pretensions of the bourgeoisie, politicians, and the art world. This pen-and-ink drawing humorously captures three self-important connoisseurs peering intently at a painting, their exaggerated features and postures poking fun at the era's obsession with art experti...
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...