Artwork
Le bon morceau
Le bon morceau is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1836 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Le bon morceau is a hand-colored lithograph created by Honoré Daumier in 1836. It is a satirical print that reflects the artist's critical views on French society during the July Monarchy.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a man cutting into a piece of meat at a table with remnants of a meal. The title, meaning 'the good piece,' suggests the scene is about savoring a meal, but the exaggerated facial features of the subject imply a satirical undertone.
Technique & Style
Daumier employed a quick, sketchy style to convey a sense of liveliness in the scene. The hand-colored lithograph technique allowed for the addition of color to the print, enhancing its visual impact.
Context
The work is part of Daumier's output during a period when he regularly contributed caricatures to journals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari, using humor to critique the social and political climate in 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.
