Artwork

Allons, papa... encore... trente-deux tours!...

Allons, papa... encore... trente-deux tours!..., by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1847
Allons, papa... encore... trente-deux tours!..., by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1847

Allons, papa... encore... trente-deux tours!... 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

Created in 1847, this lithographic print by Honoré Daumier captures a brief, lively moment of three figures engaged in a jump‑rope game. The central figure swings the rope with exaggerated vigor while a boy and a girl prepare to leap, all rendered in a dim interior that suggests modest surroundings.

Subject & Meaning

The composition functions as a satirical commentary on middle‑class pretensions, using the ordinary activity of children’s play to expose the superficiality and restless ambition of the bourgeoisie. Daumier’s choice of a chaotic, almost reckless gesture underscores the hypocrisy he perceived in social climbing.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithography, the work relies on swift, sketch‑like lines that convey motion and immediacy. Daumier’s loose handling of the medium emphasizes the energy of the scene, while the stark contrast between dark interior tones and the bright rope draws the eye to the central action.

History & Provenance

Produced during Daumier’s prolific period as a caricaturist for satirical journals such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*, the print circulated among the period’s politically engaged readership. Its original distribution was tied to the artist’s broader campaign of visual criticism against the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy of mid‑19th‑century France.

Context

The lithograph emerges from a time of intense social upheaval in France, when caricature served as a potent vehicle for dissent. Daumier’s work aligns with a tradition of using everyday scenes to reflect larger societal tensions, positioning the seemingly trivial game as a mirror of class contradictions.

Legacy

Although less renowned than Daumier’s larger political cartoons, this print exemplifies his ability to fuse humor with incisive social observation. It remains a reference point for scholars studying the role of print media in shaping public opinion during the turbulent years preceding the 1848 revolutions.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Honoré Daumier

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.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.