C'est l'apollon du nouvel opéra
1870
Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of Dr. Armand Hammer)
Accession Number
2015.143.854
Art Historical Context
**C'est l'apollon du nouvel opéra** (1870) is a sharp lithograph by Honoré Daumier, the masterful French caricaturist renowned for his biting social commentary. Created during the lavish Second Empire era under Napoleon III, this skewers the pretensions of the newly constructed Palais Garnier, Paris's opulent opera house. The title—"That's the Apollo of the new"—mockingly dubs a grandiose architectural feature as a modern god, highlighting the era's obsession with imperial splendor amid political and social tensions, including the looming Franco-Prussian War. Daumier's Realism-infused caricat...
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...