Artwork
Allons, papa... encore... trente-deux tours!...
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
Honoré Daumier’s 1847 lithograph *Allons, papa… encore… trente‑deux tours!* is a small-scale print executed on newsprint. The work captures a cramped interior where a stout, bespectacled man, dressed in a rumpled coat, holds a jump rope while two children observe. The scene is rendered in loose, sketch‑like lines that convey immediacy and humor.
Subject & Meaning
The title, translating roughly to “Come on, father… thirty‑two more jumps!”, frames the image as a playful jab at the man’s vigor, suggesting a domestic, perhaps weary, effort. By juxtaposing the adult’s exertion with the children’s indifferent or modest reactions, Daumier hints at the absurdities of everyday labor and the gap between expectation and reality.
Technique & Style
Daumier employed lithography, a printmaking process that allowed rapid production on inexpensive paper. The work’s rough, gestural strokes and uneven composition—such as a crooked framed picture on the wall—underscore its sketch‑like quality, emphasizing spontaneity over polished finish.
History & Provenance
Created during Daumier’s prolific period of political satire, the lithograph appeared alongside his contributions to satirical journals like *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*. Printed on newsprint, the piece reflects his commitment to accessible media, enabling wide dissemination of his social commentary.
Context
The mid‑1840s in France were marked by mounting republican sentiment and criticism of the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy. Daumier’s work, though ostensibly a domestic vignette, participates in this broader critique by exposing the mundane struggles of ordinary people, aligning with his democratic convictions.
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.
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Allons, papa... encore... trente-deux tours!...