Who painted Expérience d'équilibre?

Expérience d'équilibre was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1868.

Where can I see Expérience d'équilibre?

Expérience d'équilibre is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Expérience d'équilibre?

Expérience d'équilibre is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Expérience d'équilibre

Honoré Daumier , 1868

Expérience d'équilibre is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1868 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

The title *Expérience d'équilibre* (which means "balance experiment") hints this is a joke about money and power.

This drawing shows a giant, lumpy figure in fancy clothes sitting on one side of a balance scale. The figure’s pockets bulge with numbers like "1000" and "500." On the other side, a small pile of round objects—maybe potatoes or coins—is barely holding up the scale.

The title *Expérience d'équilibre* (which means "balance experiment") hints this is a joke about money and power. The heavy figure looks like a rich person, while the tiny pile represents what they’re "worth" to others.

Want to see more? Look up lithography to learn how artists like Daumier made prints like this.

Overview

Created in 1868, this lithographic print by Honoré Daumier presents a satirical scene that critiques the disparity between wealth and value. The composition features a disproportionately large, oddly shaped figure in elaborate attire, whose pockets overflow with numerals, balanced against a modest heap of round objects on the opposite pan of a scale.

Subject & Meaning

The exaggerated figure represents a wealthy individual, its bulging pockets emblazoned with amounts such as “1000” and “500,” suggesting monetary excess. Opposite, the meager pile—perhaps coins or vegetables—symbolizes the scant worth assigned to the affluent by society, underscoring Daumier’s republican critique of economic inequality through humor.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithography, Daumier employed the medium’s capacity for bold line work and tonal variation to render the caricature with clarity. The print’s stark contrasts and exaggerated proportions align with his broader caricatural style, using visual exaggeration to amplify social commentary while maintaining a recognizable, narrative quality.

History & Provenance

Daumier, active as a painter, sculptor, and printmaker, regularly contributed to satirical journals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari. This work reflects his ongoing engagement with the political turbulence of mid‑19th‑century France, embodying his democratic convictions and his practice of publishing prints that lampoon the aristocracy and clergy.

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.