Artwork
Conciliabule chez le grand homme
Conciliabule chez le grand homme is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumée’s lithograph titled “Conciliabule chez le grand homme” depicts a gathering of suited men engaged in heated conversation. The composition centers on a cramped interior where participants lean forward, whisper, or stare intently, their faces contorted in exaggerated expressions that convey both tension and ridicule.
Subject & Meaning
The work satirizes the clandestine negotiations of political elites during France’s Second Empire, presenting the participants as caricatured figures whose exaggerated noses and scowls underscore the absurdity of their power games. By amplifying facial features, Daumée highlights the conflict and self‑importance inherent in such private assemblies.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the image relies on bold line work and stark contrasts to emphasize the dramatic gestures of the figures. Daumée’s characteristic use of caricature—distorting anatomy while retaining recognizable attire—creates a visual tension between realism and mockery, a hallmark of his social commentary.
Context
Created amid the authoritarian climate of the Second Empire (1852‑1870), the print reflects contemporary anxieties about political intrigue and the opacity of decision‑making among the ruling class. Daumée’s choice of a public medium allowed the critique to circulate widely, reaching audiences beyond elite circles.
Legacy
The lithograph stands as an early example of political satire in print, illustrating Daumée’s influence on later cartoonists who employed exaggerated portraiture to expose power structures. Its inclusion in major collections, such as the National Gallery of Art, underscores its enduring relevance to the study of 19th‑century French visual criticism.
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.
Un discours fatiguant pour le président
Entrée en classe du jeune Estancelin
La première lecon ... ; Un monsieur ... ; Collé sous bande; Deux amateurs de la banlieue
M. Laurent (de l'ardèche) Passant ...
M. Berger, dit le superbe ...
Le jour ou ... Théobald a appris son dégommage
Monsieur le sténographe ...
Vue de M. Dupin se rendant a l'assemblée