Who painted Ils vont un train d'enfer ...?

Ils vont un train d'enfer ... was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1855.

Where can I see Ils vont un train d'enfer ...?

Ils vont un train d'enfer ... is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Ils vont un train d'enfer ...?

Ils vont un train d'enfer ... is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Ils vont un train d'enfer ...

Honoré Daumier , 1855

Ils vont un train d'enfer ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1855 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Ils vont un train d'enfer is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier featuring a man and woman walking in a desolate landscape, with a train visible in the background, its smoke underscoring the intrusion of industrial elements into rural settings.

Subject & Meaning

The subjects, a pair dressed in attire suggestive of modest means (tall hat, long coat for the man; bonnet, long dress, and woven basket for the woman), are juxtaposed against the industrial backdrop, critiquing the impact of industrialization on everyday life, a common theme in Daumier's oeuvre.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, the piece showcases Daumier's adeptness with the medium, likely utilizing stark contrasts and expressive lines to convey the juxtaposition of traditional life with the emerging industrial landscape.

History & Provenance

While specific provenance details are not provided, the work aligns with Daumier's mid-19th-century output, a period marked by his prolific commentary on social and industrial transformations in France.

Context

Created amidst the rapid industrialization of 19th-century France, the lithograph reflects Daumier's broader critique of societal changes, echoing his concerns over the human cost of progress.

Legacy

This work contributes to Daumier's legacy as a keen social observer, influencing subsequent artists in their depiction of industrialization's effects on society and the human condition.

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.