Artwork
Bataille (Alex. Simon Pataille)
Bataille (Alex. Simon Pataille) is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1833 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s 1833 lithograph titled “Bataille” depicts a single male figure in profile. The image is rendered in the stark contrasts typical of stone lithography, with the subject’s cheekbones and nose rendered in an exaggerated, almost caricatural manner. Below the portrait, the name “BATAILLE” appears scratched into the surface, underscoring the work’s satirical tone.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait presents an individual whose features are deliberately overstated, suggesting a critique of personal vanity or social pretension. By inscribing the name in a rough, almost mocking hand, Daumier hints that the figure may be a recognizable public character, reduced to a caricature for the viewer’s amusement.
Technique & Style
Created on lithographic stone, the print shows Daumier’s characteristic handling of ink, with uneven, textured areas that give the face a lively, almost trembling quality. The scratched lettering below the image demonstrates a willingness to incorporate spontaneous marks, blurring the line between finished illustration and impromptu drawing.
History & Provenance
Part of Daumier’s prolific output—over four thousand lithographs produced during his career—this piece emerged from the same workshop that supplied cheap newspaper illustrations. While many of his works were intended for mass‑circulation satire, “Bataille” also functions as a stand‑alone print, bridging popular press and fine art.
Context
In the early 1830s, Daumian lithographs were a primary vehicle for political and social commentary in France, often appearing in inexpensive periodicals that reached a broad audience. The exaggerated physiognomy and the name’s rough inscription align with the era’s tradition of using caricature to lampoon public figures and societal norms.
Legacy
Although less widely known than Daumier’s larger political series, “Bataille” exemplifies his skill in merging incisive satire with the technical possibilities of lithography. It remains a representative example of how 19th‑century print culture could convey both humor and critique within a single, compact image.
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.
