Artwork

C'est dommage que ma chasse a moi soit fermée

C'est dommage que ma chasse a moi soit fermée, by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1867
C'est dommage que ma chasse a moi soit fermée, by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1867

C'est dommage que ma chasse a moi soit fermée is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1867 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1867, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier presents a scene in which a uniformed figure watches another individual fire a rifle. The composition is set against a sparse landscape where a few birds traverse the sky, emphasizing the contrast between the disciplined military presence and the open environment.

Subject & Meaning

The work juxtaposes a stoic officer, arms folded, with a shooter in a long coat, suggesting a dialogue about the evolving function of the armed forces. Daumier’s republican sympathies inform the image, inviting reflection on how individual agency and institutional authority intersect during a period of social change.

Technique & Style

Executed on newsprint through lithography, the piece relies on bold contours and varied shading to convey texture and depth. The artist’s economical line work captures the figures with a degree of expressiveness, while the medium’s grainy surface adds a tactile quality that reinforces the scene’s immediacy.

Context

Daumier produced this print amid his prolific output for satirical journals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari, where he regularly critiqued the monarchy and aristocracy. The image reflects the broader climate of mid‑nineteenth‑century France, marked by republican aspirations and debates over the role of the military in a modernizing society.

History & Provenance

The lithograph was part of Daumier’s extensive print series that circulated widely in the 1860s, reaching a readership attuned to political commentary. Over time, it entered museum collections as an example of his engagement with contemporary issues, preserving the original newsprint sheet as evidence of his printmaking practice.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Honoré Daumier

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.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.