Who painted Ah! Saperlotte! ... Le raisin n'est pas bon cette année! ...?

Ah! Saperlotte! ... Le raisin n'est pas bon cette année! ... was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1845.

Where can I see Ah! Saperlotte! ... Le raisin n'est pas bon cette année! ...?

Ah! Saperlotte! ... Le raisin n'est pas bon cette année! ... is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Ah! Saperlotte! ... Le raisin n'est pas bon cette année! ...?

Ah! Saperlotte! ... Le raisin n'est pas bon cette année! ... is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Ah! Saperlotte! ... Le raisin n'est pas bon cette année! ...

Honoré Daumier , 1845

Ah! Saperlotte! ... Le raisin n'est pas bon cette année! ... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Honoré Daumée’s lithograph titled *Ah!

About this work

Overview

Honoré Daumée’s lithograph titled *Ah! Saperlotte! … Le raisin n’est pas bon cette année!* presents a crowded vineyard scene in which laborers are actively harvesting grapes. Central to the composition is a figure holding up a bunch that appears sour, his expression exaggerated for comic effect. The print captures the bustle of the harvest while subtly satirizing the complaints of a poor vintage.

Subject & Meaning

The work portrays the everyday toil of vineyard workers, emphasizing the collective effort of grape picking. By highlighting a man presenting a sour bunch with a caricatured grin, Daumier injects humor that critiques the tendency to lament an unfavorable harvest. The image thus functions both as a realistic depiction of agricultural labor and a witty commentary on human foibles.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, the piece relies on crisp line work and pronounced chiaroscuro to convey depth and movement. Daumier’s characteristic use of strong contrasts and fluid shading renders the figures with a sense of immediacy, while the exaggerated facial features align with his broader caricatural approach, blending observation with satire.

Context

Daumier frequently produced prints for the French press, and this lithograph follows that tradition, originally appearing in a newspaper or satirical journal. Its blend of social observation and humor reflects the artist’s ongoing interest in everyday French life during the mid‑19th century, when such illustrated commentaries were a popular medium for public discourse.

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.