Artwork
Mon cher ami, nous avons appris ...
Mon cher ami, nous avons appris ... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
This lithograph shows three men crowding into a bedroom. One man lies in bed, alarmed. The others lean in, faces sharp with urgency.
Daumier made this in 1845 to poke fun at gossip and nosy neighbors. We don’t know what the men found out—maybe a scandal, maybe nothing—but the drama feels real.
Look up lithography to see how artists used it to spread news fast.
Overview
This 1845 lithograph by Honoré Daumier, titled 'Mon cher ami, nous avons appris,' depicts a tense scene in a bedroom where three men are caught up in a moment of drama.
Subject & Meaning
The print shows two men leaning in towards a third, who lies in bed looking alarmed, suggesting they have just discovered something, though the nature of the revelation is left to the viewer's interpretation.
Technique & Style
Daumier's use of lithography allowed for mass production, making it a suitable medium for commentary on contemporary issues. The technique enabled him to capture expressive faces and detailed clothing, adding to the scene's immediacy.
Context
Created in 1845, the work satirizes the tendency for gossip and intrusion into private lives, reflecting Daumier's interest in commenting on the social issues of his time.
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.
