Who painted Dites donc, confrère, vous allez soutenir...?

Dites donc, confrère, vous allez soutenir... was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1845.

Where can I see Dites donc, confrère, vous allez soutenir...?

Dites donc, confrère, vous allez soutenir... is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Dites donc, confrère, vous allez soutenir...?

Dites donc, confrère, vous allez soutenir... is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Dites donc, confrère, vous allez soutenir...

Honoré Daumier , 1845

Dites donc, confrère, vous allez soutenir... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

One figure points at the absurd footwear while the other leans in, grinning, with a table of miscellaneous objects—such as a hat and fabric—visible behind them.

Created in 1845, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier presents a humorous scene of two men in period attire sharing a laugh over an oversized pair of shoes. One figure points at the absurd footwear while the other leans in, grinning, with a table of miscellaneous objects—such as a hat and fabric—visible behind them. The title suggests a colloquial exchange between acquaintances, underscoring the work’s light‑hearted tone.

Subject & Meaning

The exaggerated shoes serve as a visual gag, likely symbolising the pretensions or foolishness of contemporary social types. By depicting the figures in a convivial yet mocking interaction, Daumier invites viewers to consider the absurdities of everyday manners and the broader folly of the social elite he often critiqued.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, the print employs bold, fluid lines characteristic of Daumier’s caricature work. The stark contrasts between dark inked areas and lighter spaces enhance the comedic effect, while the sketch‑like quality preserves a sense of immediacy and spontaneity typical of his newspaper illustrations.

History & Provenance

Daumier produced the image during a prolific period of political satire, contributing regularly to the satirical journals La Caricature and Le Charivari. Though originally circulated in print form, the lithograph later entered private collections before being acquired by public institutions that document 19th‑century French graphic art.

Context

The work belongs to Daumier’s broader campaign of visual commentary on the July Monarchy and the early Second Republic, where he targeted the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy. While this particular print focuses on a domestic, humorous scene, it reflects the artist’s ongoing engagement with social criticism through accessible, popular media.

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.