“What idiots! You paint a religious picture for them and they laugh.... they don't even have a devotion to art!...,” plate 4 from Croquis Pris Au Salon par Daumier
Medium
Lithograph in black on white wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 22 × 22.2 cm (8 11/16 × 8 3/4 in.); Sheet: 36.1 × 27.5 cm (14 1/4 × 10 7/8 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
80040
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier’s 1865 lithograph captures a wry moment of social commentary at the Paris Salon, the era’s premier art exhibition. The title—“What idiots! You paint a religious picture for them and they laugh.... they don’t even have a devotion to art!”—voices the exasperation of an imagined artist or critic as visitors chuckle at a solemn religious scene. Through deft caricature, Daumier highlights the gap between sincere artistic intent and the public’s sometimes superficial responses. Created as plate 4 in the series *Croquis Pris Au Salon*, the work exemplifies Daumier’s mastery of lithogr...
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...