Artwork
Ayant ... trouvé le moyen de passe agréablement l'été
Ayant ... trouvé le moyen de passe agréablement l'été is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph titled “Ayant … trouvé le moyen de passe agréablement l’été” presents a quiet summer scene in which two individuals recline in a shallow body of water. The composition is framed by a canopy of trees, and the figures’ relaxed postures convey a moment of unhurried leisure, typical of a warm, tranquil day.
Subject & Meaning
The print captures a simple, everyday pastime: bathing or wading in a natural setting. By emphasizing the calm expressions and the gentle surroundings, Daumier highlights the human desire for respite and pleasure during the heat of summer, suggesting a universal appeal of nature as a refuge from daily toil.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the work relies on the medium’s capacity for fine tonal variation and swift, gestural lines. Daumier’s handling of the stone surface yields soft shading for the foliage and a subtle contrast between water and sky, reinforcing the scene’s serene atmosphere while retaining the immediacy characteristic of his prints.
Context
Created in the mid‑19th century, the lithograph reflects contemporary leisure practices among the urban middle class, who increasingly sought outdoor recreation during summer months. Daumier’s focus on ordinary activities aligns with his broader interest in depicting the quotidian lives of ordinary people, offering a visual record of social habits of the period.
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.
