Artwork

Ce satané Pigochard...

Ce satané Pigochard..., by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1848
Ce satané Pigochard..., by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1848

Ce satané Pigochard... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1848, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier captures a brief, rainy street scene populated by two soldiers and a passing woman. The composition is rendered in swift, gestural lines that convey movement and atmosphere, while a faint streetlamp offers a muted source of light amid the dark, wet backdrop.

Subject & Meaning

The print juxtaposes a rigid, hat‑topped soldier holding a rifle with a second, smiling soldier leaning forward as if sharing a joke, while a woman in a long coat and hat shields herself with an umbrella. The contrast between the solemn military figure and the jovial counterpart, set against an ordinary civilian, hints at Daumier’s satirical observation of authority and everyday life.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithography, the work relies on rapid, loose drawing strokes that give the figures a sense of immediacy. The heavy uniforms are suggested with bold outlines, whereas the woman’s umbrella provides a singular bright accent, drawing the eye and balancing the darker tonalities of the wet street and buildings.

Context

Produced during a period when Daumier was prolific in political caricature for journals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari, the lithograph reflects his republican sympathies and his habit of critiquing the military, aristocracy, and clergy. The 1848 date places it amid the revolutionary upheavals that shaped French society in the mid‑19th century.

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.