Artwork

Le rues de Paris dans les premiers jours de Septembre ...

Le rues de Paris dans les premiers jours de Septembre ..., by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1858
Le rues de Paris dans les premiers jours de Septembre ..., by Honoré Daumier, ink, 1858

Le rues de Paris dans les premiers jours de Septembre ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1858 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Daumier’s 1858 lithograph shows a man, woman, and child walking a Paris street in dark coats and hats. The child wears a white bonnet, the woman carries a small basket.

Daumier made 4,000 lithographs in his life. This one shows everyday Paris in the 1860s without glamour. The scene feels quiet and real.

If you like this, look up Daumier, Honoré.

Overview

This 1858 lithograph by Honoré Daumier captures a serene moment of everyday life in Paris, featuring a trio of figures in traditional attire navigating an urban street.

Subject & Meaning

The scene focuses on a man, woman, and child engaged in a quiet, familial moment, conveying a sense of simplicity and intimacy amidst the city's backdrop, eschewing glamour for realism.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithograph, the work showcases Daumier's ability to evoke nostalgia and quiet realism through his medium of choice, characteristic of his prolific output of over 4,000 lithographs.

History & Provenance

Created in 1858, the lithograph offers a glimpse into Parisian life during the late 19th century, specifically the 1860s, with the artist's choice of subjects reflecting his interest in ordinary city life.

Context

Part of Daumier's broader body of work documenting everyday Paris, this piece contrasts with more glamorous depictions of the city, instead emphasizing the mundane and the personal.

Legacy

This lithograph contributes to Daumier's legacy as a chronicler of 19th-century Parisian life, inviting viewers to explore more of his extensive and nuanced portrayals of the city and its inhabitants.

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.