Who painted Bains de Femmes?

Bains de Femmes was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1841.

Where can I see Bains de Femmes?

Bains de Femmes is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Bains de Femmes?

Bains de Femmes is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Bains de Femmes

Honoré Daumier , 1841

Bains de Femmes is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1841 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Honoré Daumier shows women in a public bath, lined up in simple tubs.

Honoré Daumier shows women in a public bath, lined up in simple tubs. The lines are rough but full of feeling. One woman scrubs another’s back with care.

This is a lithograph on newsprint from 1841. Lithography lets artists draw on stone, then print many copies fast. Daumier used it to mock Parisian life in cheap papers.

This style feels almost like a cartoon. Look up lithography to see how it works.

Overview

Bains de Femmes is a 1841 lithograph on newsprint by Honoré Daumier, a prominent French artist known for his satirical commentary.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a scene of women bathing in a public facility, lined up in simple tubs, with one woman scrubbing another's back. The image critiques the social norms of the time, reflecting Daumier's republican democratic views and his tendency to lampoon the elite.

Technique & Style

The lithograph is characterized by rough, expressive lines. Lithography, the technique used, allowed Daumier to produce multiple copies quickly, making it an ideal medium for mass-produced publications.

History & Provenance

Created in 1841, during a period of monarchical rule in France, Bains de Femmes was likely published in a cheap, widely circulated paper, aligning with Daumier's practice of using lithography to mock Parisian life.

Artist & collection

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.