Artwork
La Femme a barbe
La Femme a barbe is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1867 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1867, this lithographic print by French artist Honoré Daumier presents a striking, bearded woman poised on a cloud, arm flexed in a gesture of confidence. She is dressed in a flowing gown, her expression self‑assured, while a robed figure watches her with a blend of astonishment and admiration. Dark, turbulent clouds fill the sky, framing the scene’s dramatic atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure’s incongruous beard challenges conventional gender norms, suggesting a satirical commentary on societal expectations. By placing the woman in a lofty, almost celestial setting, Daumier amplifies her defiance, inviting viewers to question the rigidity of 19th‑century French social hierarchies and the roles prescribed to women within them.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the work relies on the medium’s capacity for bold line work and tonal contrast. Daumier’s characteristic caricatural exaggeration is evident in the exaggerated beard and muscular pose, while the stark chiaroscuro of the cloudy background heightens the figure’s prominence and reinforces the print’s theatrical quality.
History & Provenance
Daumier, best known for his political caricatures in publications such as La Caricature and Le Charivari, produced this image during a period of intense republican critique of the monarchy and clergy. The lithograph was circulated among his contemporaries as part of his broader satirical oeuvre, reflecting his ongoing engagement with the social and political debates of mid‑19th‑century France.
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.
Oedipe chez le Sphinx
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Bobalicon (Simpleton)
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