Artwork
Fonctionnaires ... veillant au salut de l'empire! ...
Fonctionnaires ... veillant au salut de l'empire! ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1859 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s 1859 lithograph, titled “Fonctionnaires … veillant au salut de l’empire!,” presents a compact composition of three figures dressed in richly detailed, traditional costume. The print is rendered in a single tonal range, emphasizing line and shade over colour, and it is framed by a decorative, abstract backdrop that suggests a formal setting.
Subject & Meaning
The three men lean forward, their faces contorted in pronounced, almost theatrical expressions, implying a serious discussion or deliberation. Their elaborate attire and posture convey a sense of officialdom, while the exaggerated gestures hint at a satirical observation of bureaucratic authority within the empire.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the work relies on fine, intersecting lines and varied hatching to model volume and texture. Daumier’s handling of light and shadow creates depth without pigment, and the patterned background, composed of geometric motifs, contrasts with the detailed rendering of the figures, reinforcing the print’s monochrome focus.
History & Provenance
Created in 1859, the lithograph belongs to Daumier’s prolific output of socially charged prints produced during the Second French Empire. It was issued as part of a series that critiqued public officials, and surviving copies have passed through several European collections before entering museum holdings.
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.
