Artwork
O qu'ils sont laids!
O qu'ils sont laids! is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1836 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1836, this hand‑coloured lithograph by Honoré Daumier presents a satirical scene in which three costumed figures perform on a stage before an audience rendered as a crowd of monkey‑like spectators. The caption beneath the image, “O qu’ils sont laids!”—French for “Oh, how ugly they are!”—underscores the work’s mocking tone.
Subject & Meaning
The central trio consists of a woman in a vivid floral dress topped by an elaborate feathered hat, a man shielding his face with a fan while wearing a dark coat and hat, and a third man in red trousers, a black coat and tall hat, holding a cane. Their exaggerated attire and theatrical pose invite ridicule, while the derisive crowd below suggests a broader criticism of pretentiousness and social affectation.
Technique & Style
Daumier employed lithography, a printmaking process that allowed rapid production of detailed images. After drawing on a limestone plate, the image was transferred to paper and then hand‑coloured, adding vivid accents that highlight the performers’ costumes and the chaotic crowd. The style combines sharp line work with caricatural exaggeration, typical of Daumier’s satirical oeuvre.
Context
The lithograph belongs to the period of intense political turbulence between the July Revolution of 1830 and the later upheavals of the 19th‑century French Republics. As a regular contributor to satirical journals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari, Daumier used his prints to lampoon the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy, reflecting republican sentiments prevalent among his contemporaries.
Legacy
While not as widely reproduced as some of Daumier’s later works, this print exemplifies his early engagement with social critique through popular media. It illustrates how lithography served as a vehicle for political commentary, influencing subsequent generations of caricaturists and reinforcing the role of print culture in 19th‑century public discourse.
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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