Artwork

Le Constitutionnel et le Juif errant

Le Constitutionnel et le Juif errant, by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1844
Le Constitutionnel et le Juif errant, by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1844

Le Constitutionnel et le Juif errant is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1844 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Le Constitutionnel et le Juif errant is a 1844 lithograph by Honoré Daumier, a prominent French printmaker and satirist.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts two men walking in opposite directions, symbolizing opposing ideologies. The figure on the left is labeled 'CONSTITUTIONAL', while the bearded man on the right is likely the Wandering Jew, a figure associated with eternal wandering and persecution.

Technique & Style

The lithograph features bold, expressive lines and a simple, solid-colored background, characteristic of Daumier's style and the Romanticism movement, which emphasized emotion and imagination.

Context

Created during a period of social and political upheaval in France, the print reflects Daumier's critique of the era's power structures and ideologies, as seen in his work for publications like La Caricature and Le Charivari.

Artist & collection

Portrait of Honoré Daumier

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.

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.