Artwork

Grande révolte des rats de montfaucon ...

Grande révolte des rats de montfaucon ..., by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1856
Grande révolte des rats de montfaucon ..., by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1856

Grande révolte des rats de montfaucon ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1856 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Grande révolte des rats de Montfaucon is a lithograph created by Honoré Daumier in 1856, depicting a somber scene of three umbrella-carrying figures surrounding a dead animal overrun by rats.

Subject & Meaning

The print conveys Daumier's social commentary, symbolizing societal decay and neglect through the juxtaposition of indifferent human onlookers and the ravaged animal, highlighting themes of poverty and disregard.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithograph, a medium conducive to mass dissemination, the work exemplifies Daumier's characteristic use of accessible art forms for socio-political critique, though specific stylistic innovations or technical nuances in this piece are not prominently noted.

History & Provenance

Created in 1856, the work's provenance details are not provided, but it aligns with Daumier's mid-19th-century output of socially conscious artworks.

Context

Emerging in 1850s France, the piece reflects the era's social ills, with Daumier leveraging his art to draw attention to the neglect of marginalized populations and urban decay.

Legacy

Grande révolte des rats de Montfaucon contributes to Daumier's legacy as a pioneering social commentator in art, influencing subsequent generations of artists in using their work as a platform for critique and reform.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Honoré Daumier

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.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.