Who painted Origine des Bédoins a Paris?

Origine des Bédoins a Paris was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1841.

Where can I see Origine des Bédoins a Paris?

Origine des Bédoins a Paris is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Origine des Bédoins a Paris?

Origine des Bédoins a Paris is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Origine des Bédoins a Paris

Honoré Daumier , 1841

Origine des Bédoins a Paris 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

Created in 1841, this lithographic print by Honoré Daumier captures a brief, exaggerated encounter on a Parisian street. Two figures dominate the scene: one upright, gesturing with agitation, the other bent over a table, laughing or coughing. Their distorted features—oversized noses and wide eyes—heighten the comic tension, while a caption below alludes to a dispute over costumes and money.

Subject & Meaning

The work satirizes everyday quarrels in mid‑19th‑century Paris, using the absurdity of the argument to critique broader social dynamics. By exaggerating the participants’ expressions and gestures, Daumier underscores the frivolity and volatility of public life, reflecting his republican sympathies and his disdain for the pretensions of the era’s institutions.

Technique & Style

Executed with swift, sketch‑like lines, the lithograph conveys immediacy and movement, reminiscent of a sequential comic panel. Daumier’s characteristic caricatural style—overstated facial features and dynamic postures—serves both humor and criticism, while the stark contrasts of black ink on paper emphasize the scene’s theatricality.

History & Provenance

Produced during the July Monarchy, the print aligns with Daumier’s prolific output for satirical journals such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*. Though originally circulated as a newspaper illustration, the lithograph later entered private collections, illustrating the artist’s role as a leading commentator on French political and social affairs in the early 1840s.

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.