Who painted Bon mot du temps?

Bon mot du temps was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1842.

Where can I see Bon mot du temps?

Bon mot du temps is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Bon mot du temps?

Bon mot du temps is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Bon mot du temps

Honoré Daumier , 1842

Bon mot du temps is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1842 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

A bearded man in rags stands barefoot, holding a lantern and a sack. Ghostly robed figures drift around him. The setting looks like an old Greek or Roman place.

Daumier made this in 1842 as a lithograph. Lithography was new then. It lets artists draw on stone with grease to print images fast.

Look up lithography to see how it works.

Overview

Bon mot du temps is a 1842 lithograph by Honoré Daumier, featuring a bearded figure in tattered clothing amidst ghostly robed figures.

Subject & Meaning

The image depicts a barefoot man carrying a lantern and sack, surrounded by spectral figures, set against a classical backdrop, suggesting themes of observation and existential commentary.

Technique & Style

Created using lithography, a relatively new technique at the time, the print showcases Daumier's ability to draw directly on stone with grease to produce multiple images quickly.

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.