Avantages des terrasses italiennes...
1846
Medium
lithograph on newsprint
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1979.49.116
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier, a pioneering French caricaturist of the 19th, created *Avantages des terrassesiennes...* in 6, a lithograph that exemplifies his sharp social satire. During the July Monarchy under King Louis-Philippe, Daier contributed hundreds of prints to journals like *Le Chariv*, skewering the bourgeoisie, politicians, and urban life. This work likely pokes fun at the pretensions of the French middle class, perhaps romanticizing leisurely Italian café terraces as an aspirational escape from everyday drudgery—a common theme in his observational humor. Printed on inexpensive newsprint, the ...
About the Artist
Honoré Daumier · 1810–1879
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...