Artwork
C'est bien décidé ... Je ne chasserai plus avec vous! ...
C'est bien décidé ... Je ne chasserai plus avec vous! ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1854 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s 1854 lithograph, titled “C’est bien décidé… Je ne chasserai plus avec vous!,” presents a compact grouping of three figures rendered in a loose, sketch‑like manner. The composition is stripped of elaborate setting, directing attention to the individuals and their interaction, a hallmark of Daumier’s approach to narrative printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a moment of informal dialogue among the three characters, each distinguished by subtle variations in posture and expression. By emphasizing these personal traits, Daumère hints at a broader social observation, inviting viewers to infer the underlying relationships and the quiet resolve suggested by the title’s declaration of quitting hunting.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the image relies on fluid line work and minimal shading, producing a spontaneous, almost unfinished quality. This economy of detail foregrounds the figures’ gestures and facial cues, creating an intimate atmosphere while demonstrating the medium’s capacity for rapid, expressive rendering without the distraction of elaborate background elements.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑nineteenth century, the print belongs to Daumier’s prolific output of socially aware lithographs produced for the French press and satirical journals. While specific ownership records are sparse, the piece has circulated among private collections and museum holdings, reflecting its continued relevance to studies of realist print culture.
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.
