Artwork
Le Cordon donc!...
Le Cordon donc!... 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
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s 1847 lithograph *Le Cordon donc!* is a small-format print executed on newsprint. The work belongs to the series of politically charged images that Daumier circulated through the satirical journals of his day, employing the inexpensive paper to reach a broad audience with a visual commentary on contemporary social relations.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows two men inside a dimly lit interior: one seated on a chair, the other peering through a window. Both are dressed in coats and hats, the latter in a top hat, suggesting a degree of respectability. The composition creates a feeling of covert observation, hinting at surveillance or intrigue, and invites viewers to question the power dynamics between the figures.
Technique & Style
Daumier produced the image by drawing directly onto a lithographic stone and transferring the design onto newsprint, a method that allowed rapid reproduction. The stark contrasts of light and shadow, along with the loose, expressive line work, align the piece with Romantic sensibilities that favored emotional intensity over precise detail.
History & Provenance
Originally published in the mid‑1840s, the print circulated as part of the visual discourse in periodicals such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*. Its paper base reflects the democratic intent of the era’s pamphlet culture, and surviving copies have entered museum collections through 19th‑century acquisitions of illustrated press material.
Context
Created during the turbulent years of the July Monarchy, the work participates in Daumier’s broader critique of aristocratic privilege and governmental authority. By employing satire on a widely accessible medium, the artist contributed to a public sphere where visual humor served as a vehicle for political dissent.
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.
