Who painted Est-il permis de revenir... dans un état pareil...?

Est-il permis de revenir... dans un état pareil... was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1843.

Where can I see Est-il permis de revenir... dans un état pareil...?

Est-il permis de revenir... dans un état pareil... is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Est-il permis de revenir... dans un état pareil...?

Est-il permis de revenir... dans un état pareil... is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Est-il permis de revenir... dans un état pareil...

Honoré Daumier , 1843

Est-il permis de revenir... dans un état pareil... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1843 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1843, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier presents a domestic scene that captures a moment of emotional strain. A man with long hair holds a child before him, while a seated woman rests her head in her hands, suggesting distress. The composition includes a hat on the floor and a framed picture on the wall, grounding the figures in a modest interior.

Subject & Meaning

The work juxtaposes the protective stance of the father figure with the despondent posture of the mother, hinting at familial tension or broader social unease. Daumier’s choice of a private, everyday setting allows a subtle critique of the instability affecting ordinary citizens during the turbulent years of the July Monarchy and the early Second Republic.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on bold line work and stark contrasts typical of Daumier’s printmaking. The handling of light and shadow, together with the expressive gestures of the figures, reflects Romantic sensibilities, emphasizing emotion and drama within a relatively simple visual framework.

History & Provenance

Daumier produced the print for satirical journals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari, venues through which he regularly challenged political and clerical authority. The lithograph circulated widely in the 1840s, contributing to the artist’s reputation as a keen observer of French social life during a period of rapid political change.

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.