Who painted Comte d'Argout?

Comte d'Argout was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1832.

Where can I see Comte d'Argout?

Comte d'Argout is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Comte d'Argout?

Comte d'Argout is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Comte d'Argout

Honoré Daumier , 1832

Comte d'Argout is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1832 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

A light‑toned background isolates the portrait, emphasizing the facial features and lending the image a contemplative atmosphere.

Created in 1832, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier presents a solitary male figure rendered in a restrained palette. The sitter, distinguished by a pronounced nose and chin, is dressed in a dark coat and white cravat, his head turned slightly leftward as if gazing into the distance. A light‑toned background isolates the portrait, emphasizing the facial features and lending the image a contemplative atmosphere.

Subject & Meaning

The work portrays the Count d’Argout, a notable political figure of the July Monarchy, and reflects Daumier’s broader engagement with contemporary power structures. By isolating the count’s profile and employing subtle shading, the artist invites viewers to consider the individual’s role within the aristocratic hierarchy, while the quiet pose suggests a moment of introspection amid the public scrutiny typical of Daumier’s satirical practice.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithographic print, the image relies on delicate gradations of tone achieved through careful manipulation of the stone surface. Daumier’s use of cross‑hatching and varied line weight creates a sense of volume, while the contrast between the dark attire and the pale background accentuates the subject’s facial planes. The overall style balances caricature’s exaggeration with a restrained realism characteristic of his early 1830s prints.

History & Provenance

The lithograph was produced for the satirical journals La Caricature and Le Charivari, venues through which Daumier regularly critiqued French political elites. Distributed widely in the early 1830s, the print circulated among the readership of these periodicals, contributing to the artist’s reputation as a commentator on republican and democratic ideals. Copies have since entered public and private collections, documenting the print’s continued relevance to studies of 19th‑century French political art.

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.