The incomparable somnabulist," from 'Memories of the celebration at St. Cloud,' published in Le Petit Journal pour Rire, September 16, 1865
September 16, 1865
Medium
Lithograph on newsprint; fourth state of four (undescribed, Delteil)
Dimensions
Image: 5 1/2 × 9 1/2 in. (14 × 24.2 cm) Sheet: 8 11/16 × 12 1/4 in. (22.1 × 31.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1962
Accession Number
62.650.388
Tags
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier, the masterful French caricaturist of the 19th century, captures the absurdities of everyday life in this satirical lithograph, *The Incomparable Somnabulist published in *Le Petit Journal pourire* on September , 1865. Part of the series *Memories of the Celebration St. Cloud*, it a crowd of men in a humorous, chaotic scene—likely poking fun at public festivities or social pretensions during Napoleon III's Second Empire. Daumier's sharp wit targeted the bourgeoisie and political figures, making his works both entertaining and incisive commentaries on French society. Printed as ...
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...