Artwork

Les èleves de l'institution Pascareau essayent un nouvel uniforme ...

Les èleves de l'institution Pascareau essayent un nouvel uniforme ... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1846 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

This lithograph by Honoré Daumier, titled 'Les élèves de l'institution Pascareau essayent un nouvel uniforme', captures a scene of children trying on new uniforms under adult supervision.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts a group of children, each displaying unique reactions to wearing stiff new uniforms, ranging from boredom to defiance, as they are overseen by an adult.

Technique & Style

Daumier's use of detailed shading and scratchy yet sharp lines creates a textured and deep image, lending a sense of realism to the uniforms and the scene.

Context

The work reflects Daumier's penchant for satirizing societal norms and rules, in this case, the imposition of school uniforms on children, highlighting their individual responses to conformity.

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.