The danger of being caught in a steeple chase, plate 12 from Pastorales
Medium
Lithograph in black on white wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 27 × 22.8 cm (10 11/16 × 9 in.); Sheet: 34.8 × 26.2 cm (13 3/4 × 10 3/8 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
7829
Art Historical Context
Honoré-Victorin Daumier’s 1845 lithograph *The danger of being caught in a steeple chase* forms plate 12 of his series *Pastorales*. Created during France’s July Monarchy, the print exemplifies Daumier’s mastery of lithography, a medium that allowed rapid production and wide circulation of through journals such as *Le Charivari*. Printed in black on white wove paper, the work measures roughly 27 by 23 centimeters and captures the dynamic energy of equestrian sport with the artist’s characteristic economy of line and expressive exaggeration. Although the precise narrative remains open to inter...
About the Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier · 1808–1879
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...