Who painted Jeunes imprudens qui se laiseent emporter ...?

Jeunes imprudens qui se laiseent emporter ... was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1845.

Where can I see Jeunes imprudens qui se laiseent emporter ...?

Jeunes imprudens qui se laiseent emporter ... is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Jeunes imprudens qui se laiseent emporter ...?

Jeunes imprudens qui se laiseent emporter ... is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Jeunes imprudens qui se laiseent emporter ...

Honoré Daumier , 1845

Jeunes imprudens qui se laiseent emporter ... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Honoré Daumier’s lithograph titled *Jeunes imprudents qui se laissent emporter* presents a bustling street tableau where a group of youths converse animatedly. The composition captures a moment of heightened interaction, with each figure rendered in a manner that accentuates their gestures and facial reactions, conveying a sense of immediacy and social tension.

Subject & Meaning

The work focuses on young city dwellers caught in a lively exchange, their faces displaying a range of emotions—from surprise to irritation—suggesting a commentary on the impulsiveness and volatility of contemporary social life. By exaggerating expressions and postures, Daumier underscores the performative aspects of public discourse in his era.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithography, the piece employs bold line work and stark contrasts typical of Daumier’s satirical approach. The medium allows for rapid, expressive strokes that heighten the caricatural quality of the figures, while the careful rendering of period attire grounds the scene in a recognizable nineteenth‑century setting.

Context

Created during the mid‑1800s, the lithograph reflects the rapid urbanization and shifting social mores of Parisian life. Daumier, known for his keen observations of everyday people, uses this image to mirror the anxieties and dynamism of a society in transition, where youthful spontaneity often clashed with established norms.

History & Provenance

The print is part of Daumier’s extensive series of social sketches that were widely circulated in newspapers and pamphlets of the time. Original impressions were produced in modest editions, typical of his practice of disseminating critical commentary through affordable, mass‑produced prints.

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.