Who painted Ah! il m'a donné congé...?

Ah! il m'a donné congé... was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1847.

Where can I see Ah! il m'a donné congé...?

Ah! il m'a donné congé... is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Ah! il m'a donné congé...?

Ah! il m'a donné congé... is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Ah! il m'a donné congé...

Honoré Daumier , 1847

Ah! il m'a donné congé... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1847 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1847, this lithograph on newsprint presents a cramped interior where two men are engaged in a tense exchange.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1847, this lithograph on newsprint presents a cramped interior where two men are engaged in a tense exchange. One figure, clad in a dark jacket, pulls a sheet of paper from the wall, while the other, in a white shirt, supports a bulky piece of furniture. The composition is rendered in stark gray tones, with vigorous lines that convey movement and emotional intensity.

Subject & Meaning

The work captures a moment of confrontation, suggesting a dispute over a document—perhaps a dismissal or notice, hinted at by the title’s reference to a ‘congé.’ Daumier’s choice of ordinary, working‑class characters reflects his habit of using everyday scenes to critique broader social and political tensions in mid‑century France.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on bold, expressive shading and a limited grayscale palette typical of Daumier’s printmaking. The use of newsprint as a substrate underscores the immediacy of the commentary, while the dynamic line work aligns the piece with Romantic sensibilities that prioritize emotion and individual experience.

History & Provenance

Produced during Daumier’s prolific period as a cartoonist for satirical journals such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*, the print circulated among the readership of those publications. Its survival on newsprint indicates it was intended for wide, disposable distribution rather than elite collection.

Context

The lithograph emerges from a France marked by frequent regime changes and social unrest. Daumier, a self‑identified republican, routinely targeted the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy, employing humor and caricature to align himself with working‑class liberalism and to comment on the instability of the era.

Artist & collection

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Honoré-Victorin Daumier was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the Revolution of 1830 to the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870.