Artwork
Ah! ... Je crois que ce sont des oiseaux de proie ...
Ah! ... Je crois que ce sont des oiseaux de proie ... 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.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier's 1847 lithograph 'Ah! ... Je crois que ce sont des oiseaux de proie ...' captures a serene moment of human and animal contemplation. A suited man, accompanied by a calm dog, gazes upward at flying birds against a rural backdrop of expansive fields and a distant horizon.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a man in formal attire and his dog, paused in a rural landscape, observing birds overhead. The scene conveys a sense of tranquility and a fleeting connection with nature, highlighting a mundane yet poignant moment of appreciation for the natural world.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the work showcases Daumier's mastery of this medium. The technique allows for expressive lines and nuanced tonal values, capturing the calm expressions of the subjects and the vast, serene landscape.
History & Provenance
Created in 1847, the lithograph is a product of Daumier's prolific output during this period. Specific provenance details are not provided, but the work is characteristic of his social and natural observations common in his lithographic series.
Context
This piece reflects 19th-century French interests in both the everyday life of the bourgeoisie and the beauty of the natural world. Daumier's choice of subject matter balances the urbanity of the man's attire with the serenity of the rural setting.
Legacy
While not widely known as one of Daumier's most politically charged works, 'Ah! ... Je crois que ce sont des oiseaux de proie ...' contributes to the artist's broader legacy of observing human life and interactions with the environment, influencing later artists in their depiction of everyday scenes.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
