Charles-Léonard Gallois (?)
model c. 1832/1835 or c. 1849, cast 1929/1940
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall: 21.3 x 13.7 x 10.8 cm (8 3/8 x 5 3/8 x 4 1/4 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.21
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier, the renowned 19th-century French artist celebrated for his biting caricatures and social commentary, this bronze bust tentatively identified as *Charles-Léonard Gallois*.led around 1832–1835 or possibly 1849—periods of political upheaval in France under the July Monarchy and amid the Revolution of 1848—the sculpture captures Daumier's shift from two-dimensional satire to three-dimensional portraiture. Gallois, likely a contemporary figure such as the journalist or politician, embodies the era's turbulent intellectual circles that Daumier so sharply observed. Cast in bronze bet...
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...