Who painted Le Marchand d'habits?

Le Marchand d'habits was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1842.

Where can I see Le Marchand d'habits?

Le Marchand d'habits is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Le Marchand d'habits?

Le Marchand d'habits is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Le Marchand d'habits

Honoré Daumier , 1842

Le Marchand d'habits is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1842 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Le Marchand d'habits is a lithograph on newsprint created by Honoré Daumier in 1842. The print depicts a street vendor carrying a bundle of second-hand clothing.

Subject & Meaning

The image shows a tired, rumpled man walking with a load of clothes, likely selling items to students for use as costumes. Daumier's work often critiqued social disparities in French society during the July Monarchy and Second Republic.

Technique & Style

The lithograph is characterized by a rough, spontaneous style, suggesting it was drawn quickly, possibly on the spot. Daumier's technique blended humor with social observation, typical of his satirical prints.

History & Provenance

Daumier produced Le Marchand d'habits for publication in newspapers such as Le Charivari, where his republican views were expressed through visual commentary targeting the monarchy, clergy, and bourgeois elite.

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.