Artwork
Ayant trop fêté la Saint-Hubert
Ayant trop fêté la Saint-Hubert is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1864 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1864, this lithograph by Honoré Daumée presents a brief, comic scene of two men in motion, their arms linked as they sway across a muted landscape. The composition is concise, focusing on the figures’ exaggerated postures and flushed complexions, which immediately convey a light‑hearted, satirical tone.
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays a drunken dance, the participants’ rounded bellies and reddened faces emphasizing excess and loss of control. Through caricature, Daumée highlights human folly, suggesting a critique of indulgence and the social rituals that accompany public celebration, while inviting the viewer to recognize the universal humor in such mishaps.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on bold line work and stark contrast to define the figures against the soft, almost impressionistic background. Daumée’s characteristic exaggeration of anatomical features and dynamic pose demonstrates his skill in using the print medium to amplify satire through visual immediacy.
History & Provenance
The print was originally produced for a Parisian periodical known for lampooning the elite and political authorities. Its publication in that context underscores Daumée’s role as a visual commentator on contemporary society, and the work has since circulated among collectors of 19th‑century French prints.
Context
Emerging during a period of social upheaval in France, the lithograph reflects the artist’s engagement with everyday life amid economic hardship. Daumée’s penchant for humor served as a coping mechanism, allowing him to comment on the disparities between public festivity and private excess within the rapidly changing urban environment.
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.
