Who painted ...dussent-ils me maudire. Ces barbares parens...?

...dussent-ils me maudire. Ces barbares parens... was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1844.

Where can I see ...dussent-ils me maudire. Ces barbares parens...?

...dussent-ils me maudire. Ces barbares parens... is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is ...dussent-ils me maudire. Ces barbares parens...?

...dussent-ils me maudire. Ces barbares parens... is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

...dussent-ils me maudire. Ces barbares parens...

Honoré Daumier , 1844

...dussent-ils me maudire. Ces barbares parens... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1844 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The composition is rendered in rapid, sketch‑like lines that convey immediacy and a slightly chaotic atmosphere.

This 1844 lithograph by Honoré Daumier, titled ...dussent-ils me maudire. Ces barbares parens..., is a small-scale print executed on newsprint. It presents a cramped interior where a central woman, fan in hand, is surrounded by three seated men and a child, while two framed landscape sketches adorn the walls. The composition is rendered in rapid, sketch‑like lines that convey immediacy and a slightly chaotic atmosphere.

Subject & Meaning

The scene captures a domestic gathering that Daumier uses to satirize contemporary social hierarchies. By placing a poised woman amid solemn male figures and a child, the work hints at the tension between public authority and private life, reflecting the artist’s republican sympathies and his critique of the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy that dominated French society in the mid‑19th century.

Technique & Style

Daumier employed lithography, a process that allows the artist to draw directly onto a stone surface with greasy media before transferring the image to paper. This method suited his need for swift production, enabling sharp, expressive lines and a spontaneous feel. The use of inexpensive newsprint underscores the democratizing intent of his caricatures, making them accessible to a broad readership.

History & Provenance

Created during Daumier’s prolific period as a contributor to Parisian satirical journals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari, the print circulated widely among the newspaper‑reading public. Its survival on fragile newsprint attests to the transient nature of the medium, yet it remains an example of the artist’s engagement with political commentary through mass‑market print culture.

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.