Comment se termine ... une conversation conugale
1846
Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of Dr. Armand Hammer)
Accession Number
2015.143.1014
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier, a masterful French lithographer and caricaturist, created *Comment se termine ... une conversation conjugale* ("How a Marital Conversation Ends...") in 1846. This print captures Daumier's signature satirical wit, poking fun at the tensions of bourgeois domestic life during France's July Monarchy. Amidst political unrest and social upheaval, Daumier produced 4,000 lithographs for like *Le Charivari*, using humor to critique the pretensions and petty dramas of the middle class. The title hints at a comedic yet poignant marital spat, likely rendered with Daumier's expressive, dyn...
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...