Artwork
Et toi, qu'est-ce que tu trouves de meilleur ...
Et toi, qu'est-ce que tu trouves de meilleur ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1864 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s 1864 lithograph presents six formally dressed men seated around a round table. Their expressions are rendered with exaggerated, caricatured features, creating a stark contrast between the seriousness of their attire and the comic quality of their faces.
Subject & Meaning
The gathering is set before a backdrop of sculptural forms, suggesting a cultured environment. By juxtaposing dignified dress with distorted physiognomy, Daumier satirizes the pretensions of social discourse, highlighting the absurdities that can underlie polite conversation.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the print relies on the fluidity of the medium to achieve bold line work and tonal variation. Daumier’s characteristic use of sharp contour and exaggerated caricature aligns the work with his broader oeuvre of social commentary.
History & Provenance
Created in 1864, the lithograph was produced during a prolific period for Daumier, when he frequently published satirical images in newspapers and journals. It later entered public collections, reflecting its continued relevance as a visual critique of 19th‑century French society.
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.
