Who painted Doucement!?

Doucement! was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1868.

Where can I see Doucement!?

Doucement! is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Doucement!?

Doucement! is associated with Impressionism.

Doucement! by Honoré Daumier (1868) — Meaning & Museum

About this work

Overview

Created in 1868, *Doucement!* is a lithographic print executed on newsprint by the French artist Honoré Daumier. The work belongs to his extensive output of satirical images produced for popular periodicals of the mid‑nineteenth century, such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*. It exemplifies Daumier’s engagement with contemporary political debate through accessible, mass‑produced graphics.

Subject & Meaning

") reinforces the ironic tone, presenting the figure as a burden whose handling is treated with feigned delicacy, a visual jab at fiscal mismanagement.

The image depicts a rotund figure restrained on a stretcher, limbs splayed, with a concerned expression. Numerical labels—"300,000" on the abdomen and "100,000" on the head—suggest monetary amounts, likely mocking governmental expenditures. The caption *Doucement!* ("Gently!") reinforces the ironic tone, presenting the figure as a burden whose handling is treated with feigned delicacy, a visual jab at fiscal mismanagement.

Technique & Style

Daumier employed the lithographic process, drawing directly onto a limestone plate with greasy ink before transferring the image onto newsprint. The medium allowed rapid production and wide distribution. Stylistically, the composition combines bold line work with exaggerated caricature, emphasizing the corpulent form and facial anxiety, hallmarks of Daumier’s satirical visual language.

History & Provenance

The print emerged during the later phase of Daumier’s career, when his republican sympathies increasingly informed his output. Distributed through the popular press, it reached a broad readership amid the Second French Empire. Original copies survive in several museum collections, reflecting the work’s role as both a political commentary and a document of nineteenth‑century print culture.

Context

*Doucement!* was produced in a period of intense political flux, following the 1830 July Revolution and preceding the fall of the Second Empire in 1870. Daumier’s prints routinely targeted the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy, aligning with republican critiques of state authority and public spending. The work thus participates in a broader visual discourse that questioned the legitimacy and fiscal policies of contemporary French governance.

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.