Artwork

Leur Mané, Thecel, Pharès

Leur Mané, Thecel, Pharès, by Honoré Daumier, 1871
Leur Mané, Thecel, Pharès, by Honoré Daumier, 1871

Leur Mané, Thecel, Pharès is a print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1871 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Leur Mané, Thecel, Pharès is a 1871 print by Honoré Daumier, a French artist known for his satirical commentary on politics and society. The work is a gillotype on newsprint, a medium associated with mass circulation.

Subject & Meaning

The print depicts three men in a dimly lit room reacting to the glowing word RÉPUBLIQUE. The scene is chaotic, with rough lines and exaggerated figures. The caption references a biblical phrase, suggesting the manipulation of truth.

Technique & Style

Daumier employed the gillotype process, a photochemical printing method, to create the print on newsprint. The resulting image is characterized by rough lines and a stark contrast between the dim scene and the glowing word RÉPUBLIQUE.

Context

The work reflects Daumier's republican democratic views during a period of upheaval in France. As a satirical artist, he frequently critiqued the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy in his work for publications like La Caricature and Le Charivari.

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.