Renouvelé des petites Danaides
1866
Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of Dr. Armand Hammer)
Accession Number
2015.143.825
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier's *Renouvelé des Danaides* (1866) is a striking lithograph that captures the French artist's signature satirical bite. Produced during the Second Empire under Napoleon III, this print belongs to Daumier's vast oeuvre of over 4,000 lithographs, published in popular journals like *Le Charivari*. As a master of the medium, Daumier exploited lithography's versatility—its greasy crayon on stone allowing fluid, expressive lines—to critique societal absurdities with sharp wit and empathy. The title evokes the Greek myth of the Danaïdes, the 50 sisters condemned to eternally fill leaki...
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...