Who painted Des gens dont le soleil réjouit peu la vue?

Des gens dont le soleil réjouit peu la vue was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1855.

Where can I see Des gens dont le soleil réjouit peu la vue?

Des gens dont le soleil réjouit peu la vue is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Des gens dont le soleil réjouit peu la vue?

Des gens dont le soleil réjouit peu la vue is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Des gens dont le soleil réjouit peu la vue

Honoré Daumier , 1855

Des gens dont le soleil réjouit peu la vue is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1855 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

The overall atmosphere of the painting is one of everyday life, with the two men going about their business in a casual manner.

The painting depicts two men standing outdoors, both wearing tall hats and military-style jackets. The man on the left is leaning forward, holding his hat in his right hand and looking up at the sky. The man on the right stands upright, his left hand raised to his forehead as if shielding his eyes from the sun.

In the background, a cityscape is visible, with buildings and a wall. The overall atmosphere of the painting is one of everyday life, with the two men going about their business in a casual manner.

The painting is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, created in 1855. It is held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington. If you're interested in learning more about lithography, you can explore this technique further.

Overview

Created in 1855, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier presents a brief street scene in which two men pause under a bright sky. Both figures wear tall hats and military‑style coats; the left figure leans forward, hand on his hat, while the right shields his eyes from the sun. A modest urban backdrop of buildings and a low wall completes the composition, conveying a moment of ordinary daily life.

Subject & Meaning

The work captures a fleeting encounter between two passers‑by, emphasizing the physical response to intense sunlight. By focusing on the gestures—one man looking upward, the other shielding his gaze—Daumier hints at the universal discomfort of exposure, while the ordinary attire and setting suggest a broader commentary on the anonymity of urban citizens in mid‑19th‑century France.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on the medium’s capacity for fine line work and tonal variation. Daumier’s characteristic satirical edge appears in the exaggerated postures and the crisp delineation of clothing and architecture, while the limited palette underscores the starkness of the sunlit scene and the immediacy of the moment.

History & Provenance

Daumier produced the print during a prolific period of contributions to satirical journals such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*. The lithograph entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of 19th‑century French graphic 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.