Artwork
Ne laissez donc pas votre ami dans cet état la!
Ne laissez donc pas votre ami dans cet état la! is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1841 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph titled *Ne laissez donc pas votre ami dans cet état la!* presents a brief street tableau populated by three distinct characters: an elderly man leaning on a walking stick, a young gentleman in formal attire, and a ragged individual seated on the pavement. The composition captures a moment of urban interaction in mid‑nineteenth‑century France.
Subject & Meaning
The work juxtaposes the dignified posture of the older man and the well‑dressed youth with the vulnerable figure collapsed on the ground, suggesting a commentary on social disparity and the responsibility of bystanders toward those in distress. The title, a plea not to abandon a friend in such a condition, reinforces the moral undertone.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, Daumier employed the medium’s capacity for fine line work and tonal variation to delineate the figures against a simplified street backdrop. The stark contrasts and economical detailing are characteristic of his satirical prints, which often blend realism with caricature.
History & Provenance
Created during Daumée’s prolific period of social satire in the 1850s, the print was likely produced for the French satirical press or as a standalone edition. It has since passed through several private collections before entering public holdings, reflecting the enduring interest in his urban genre scenes.
Own this work as a print
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.
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