Who painted Laissez dire un peu de mal de vous...?

Laissez dire un peu de mal de vous... was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1847.

Where can I see Laissez dire un peu de mal de vous...?

Laissez dire un peu de mal de vous... is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Laissez dire un peu de mal de vous...?

Laissez dire un peu de mal de vous... is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Laissez dire un peu de mal de vous...

Honoré Daumier , 1847

Laissez dire un peu de mal de vous... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1847 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

The title at the bottom hints this is about a messy trial—someone’s insulting the other side’s family.

This sketch shows a crowded courtroom scene. A man in a suit sits slumped, holding a child’s hands. Behind him, a judge in a long robe stands with hands on a table. Other people in the room watch or whisper. The drawing is rough and full of quick lines.

The title at the bottom hints this is about a messy trial—someone’s insulting the other side’s family. The artist made this in 1847, when courts were often chaotic and public.

Next, check out lithography to see how this sketch was printed.

Overview

Created in 1847, this lithographic print by Honoré Daumier captures a bustling courtroom scene rendered in a rapid, sketch‑like manner. The composition centers on a despondent, formally dressed man clutching a child’s hands, while a judge in ceremonial robes presides from behind a table. Surrounding figures appear to listen or murmur, conveying the disorder often associated with public trials of the era.

Subject & Meaning

The image portrays a chaotic legal proceeding, suggested by the title’s reference to “letting a little evil be spoken.” Daumier’s focus on a downtrodden father and his child underscores the personal toll of judicial proceedings, while the surrounding onlookers hint at societal voyeurism. The work reflects the artist’s republican sympathies and his critique of institutions that could inflict hardship on ordinary citizens.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, the piece relies on swift, gestural lines that convey immediacy and movement. Daumier’s use of stark contrasts and minimal shading emphasizes the crowded interior and the emotional weight of the central figures. The rough, sketch‑like quality aligns with his broader practice of producing satirical images for the press, where speed of production was essential.

History & Provenance

Daumier produced the print while working as a caricaturist for periodicals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari, publications known for their political satire. The lithograph emerged during a period of heightened tension between republican forces and the monarchy, spanning from the 1830 Revolution to the Second French Empire. Its survival in museum collections attests to Daumier’s lasting role as a visual commentator on 19th‑century French public life.

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.