Artwork
Divertissement qui devrait être interdit ...
Divertissement qui devrait être interdit ... 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
The crowd’s faces show pure joy, not cruelty—just people enjoying a clumsy show.
Daumier’s lithograph shows a crowd laughing as two skaters slip on ice. One man sits dazed, hat knocked off, while others wobble in silly poses. The scene feels real—like a quick snapshot of winter fun gone wrong.
Daumier made this in 1850, long before funny memes. He used lithography, a fast way to print sharp lines and bold shadows. The crowd’s faces show pure joy, not cruelty—just people enjoying a clumsy show.
Look up lithography next.
Overview
Divertissement qui devrait être interdit is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, created in 1850. The print depicts a humorous scene of people ice skating.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows a crowd watching two skaters slip on the ice, with one man sitting dazed and hatless. The onlookers' faces display joy, capturing the amusement of witnessing clumsiness.
Technique & Style
Daumier utilized lithography, a technique allowing for sharp lines and bold shadows, to convey the scene's energy. The resulting image has a snapshot-like quality, with exaggerated movements and facial expressions.
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.
