Who painted Le Puits de Grenelle?

Le Puits de Grenelle was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1841.

Where can I see Le Puits de Grenelle?

Le Puits de Grenelle is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Le Puits de Grenelle?

Le Puits de Grenelle is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Le Puits de Grenelle

Honoré Daumier , 1841

Le Puits de Grenelle is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1841 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Le Puits de Grenelle is a 1841 lithograph by French artist Honoré Daumier, blending social commentary with a mundane urban scene from Paris's Grenelle district.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a distressed man in formal attire rushing a child to safety, observed by a woman in the background. The scene conveys a sense of urgency and concern, potentially commenting on the hardships faced by the common people in 19th-century France.

Technique & Style

Executed in a Romantic style, the lithograph features bold lines, expressive brushstrokes, and pronounced chiaroscuro, creating dramatic tension through strong light and dark contrasts.

History & Provenance

Created during Daumier's tenure as a caricaturist for *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*, this work reflects his republican democrat stance, critiquing social and political realities of the time.

Context

Part of Daumier's broader oeuvre targeting monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy, *Le Puits de Grenelle* situates itself within 19th-century French social and political satire.

Legacy

As a characteristic example of Daumier's style and thematic concerns, the work contributes to the artist's reputation as a foremost social commentator of his era.

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.