Artwork
M. Berger, dit le superbe ...
M. Berger, dit le superbe ... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph titled *M. Berger, dit le superbe* presents a bustling gathering of men rendered in a sharply drawn, monochrome manner. The composition is populated by figures in formal attire whose faces are distorted for comic effect, creating a lively, almost chaotic tableau that captures a moment of public spectacle.
Subject & Meaning
The work satirizes a political or social assembly, turning its participants into grotesque performers. Exaggerated features—a swollen head, an overlarge collar—underscore Daumier’s critique of authority and the theatricality of public discourse, while the empty speech bubble suggests hollow rhetoric.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the image relies on the contrast between grease and water on a stone surface, allowing Daumier to produce multiple sharp impressions quickly and economically. The monochrome sketch quality emphasizes line work and expression, reinforcing the immediacy and biting humor of the scene.
Context
Created during Daumier’s prolific period of social commentary, the print reflects his broader engagement with caricature as a tool for political satire. Its accessible format enabled rapid distribution, aligning with the artist’s aim to reach a wide audience with his observations of contemporary public life.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
