Artwork
Jean Charles Besnard
Jean Charles Besnard is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Jean Charles Besnard is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, created in 1849. It is one of many satirical prints the artist produced for French periodicals during a time of significant political change.
Subject & Meaning
The print portrays Jean Charles Besnard, a public figure of the time, with a serious and somewhat disgruntled expression. The depiction is characteristic of Daumier’s use of caricature to comment on contemporary society, often from a republican democratic viewpoint. A subtle background detail—a window with a cake—adds depth, though its specific meaning in this context is not immediately clear.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the work leverages the medium’s capability for mass reproduction, aligning with its original purpose for widespread distribution in newspapers and journals. Daumier’s style here is marked by simplicity and directness, focusing on the subject’s demeanor and attire—a tall top hat and long coat.
History & Provenance
Created amidst the political turmoil following the Revolution of 1830 and preceding the fall of the Second French Empire, the lithograph reflects Daumier’s broader critique of the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy. Specific provenance details for this piece are not provided.
Context
Part of Daumier’s extensive portfolio of portraits satirizing figures of his era, *Jean Charles Besnard* sits within a larger body of work aimed at socially conscious commentary through accessible, reproducible art forms.
Legacy
As with much of Daumier’s satirical oeuvre, *Jean Charles Besnard* contributes to the artist’s legacy as a vocal critic of 19th-century French societal hierarchies, appreciated for its historical insight and caricatural craftsmanship.
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.
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