Artwork

Autre émotion maritime

Autre émotion maritime, by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1852
Autre émotion maritime, by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1852

Autre émotion maritime is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1852 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1852, *Autre émotion maritime* is a lithographic print by French artist Honoré Daumier. The image presents a windswept shoreline where a standing figure clutches a hat threatened by the gusts, while a kneeling companion gazes downward. Rough waves break behind them, emphasizing the harsh, blustery atmosphere that frames the scene’s comic premise.

Subject & Meaning

The composition juxtaposes a moment of everyday mishap—a hat nearly lost to the sea—with a subtle satire of human vulnerability. The accompanying caption, a jest about the hat’s disappearance, underscores Daumier’s penchant for turning mundane incidents into humorous commentary, reflecting his broader critique of societal pretensions.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, the work relies on bold, gestural lines and stark contrasts to convey movement and wind. Daumier’s characteristic exaggeration of gestures and facial expressions is evident, while the rough texture of the shoreline and sea is rendered through varied hatching, enhancing the sense of turbulence.

History & Provenance

Daumier produced the print during a prolific period of political caricature, contributing to satirical journals such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*. While originally circulated as a newspaper illustration, the lithograph later entered private collections and museum holdings, illustrating the artist’s dual role as a social commentator and printmaker.

Context

The mid‑nineteenth‑century French press was a fertile ground for republican critique, and Daumier’s work often targeted the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy. *Autre émotion maritime* fits within this tradition, using a simple seaside vignette to echo broader themes of instability and the precariousness of social standing in a rapidly changing France.

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.