Who painted Nouveau propriètaire faisant connaissance avec le chien ...?

Nouveau propriètaire faisant connaissance avec le chien ... was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1846.

Where can I see Nouveau propriètaire faisant connaissance avec le chien ...?

Nouveau propriètaire faisant connaissance avec le chien ... is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Nouveau propriètaire faisant connaissance avec le chien ...?

Nouveau propriètaire faisant connaissance avec le chien ... is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Nouveau propriètaire faisant connaissance avec le chien ...

Honoré Daumier , 1846

Nouveau propriètaire faisant connaissance avec le chien ... 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

Honoré Daumier’s 1846 lithograph, titled *Nouveau propriétaire faisant connaissance avec le chien*, captures a brief, comic moment in a domestic interior.

Honoré Daumier’s 1846 lithograph, titled *Nouveau propriétaire faisant connaissance avec le chien*, captures a brief, comic moment in a domestic interior. A formally dressed gentleman steps back in surprise as a large dog lunges forward, while a woman nearby attempts to keep the animal under control. The scene is rendered in the crisp, graphic lines typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century lithography, emphasizing the immediacy of the encounter.

Subject & Meaning

The print juxtaposes the dignified posture of the male figure with the unrestrained enthusiasm of the dog, creating a visual joke about the unpredictability of pet ownership. The woman’s effort to restrain the animal underscores a collaborative, yet chaotic, domestic dynamic, suggesting that even well‑ordered households can be disrupted by the spontaneous nature of animals.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, Daumier employed the stone‑based process to achieve bold contours and tonal contrasts. The medium allows for rapid production of multiple copies while preserving the expressive line work that characterizes his satirical oeuvre. The composition relies on clear, simplified forms and a limited palette, directing attention to the figures’ gestures and facial expressions.

History & Provenance

Created in 1846, the work reflects Daumier’s early engagement with everyday Parisian life, a theme he would pursue throughout his career. The print entered the public domain shortly after its release, circulating among collectors of French graphic art. It has been exhibited in several retrospectives of Daumier’s prints, illustrating his interest in social humor.

Context

During the 1840s, lithography emerged as a popular medium for disseminating images to a broad audience in France. Daumier, already known for his caricatures in newspapers, applied the same observational acuity to domestic scenes, offering a glimpse into the middle‑class milieu and the growing presence of companion animals in urban households.

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.