Artwork
Le Gamin de Paris aux Tuileries
Le Gamin de Paris aux Tuileries is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph titled *Le Gamin de Paris aux Tuileries* presents a casual tableau set in a public garden. A young man reclines in an elaborately carved chair, while two companions stand nearby engaged in conversation. The composition balances the figure’s relaxed posture with the surrounding activity, offering a snapshot of everyday social interaction within an urban leisure space.
Subject & Meaning
The central youth, rendered with a playful air, serves as a focal point that contrasts with the animated gestures of the surrounding figures. This juxtaposition highlights the varied manners of public comportment, suggesting a commentary on the mingling of leisure and conversation among Parisians in the mid‑19th‑century Tuileries gardens.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the work demonstrates Daumier’s facility with line and tonal variation to convey texture and movement. The crisp delineation of the ornate chair and the fluid rendering of drapery and figures reveal his ability to capture both the material details of the setting and the fleeting expressions of the characters.
History & Provenance
Created during Daumier’s prolific period of social observation, the print reflects his interest in urban life. While specific ownership records are limited, the lithograph has been catalogued among his numerous prints that document Parisian street scenes and public spaces, contributing to the broader understanding of his oeuvre.
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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.
