Artwork
Oui, Madame, je suis tout dévoué a notre... Prince...
Oui, Madame, je suis tout dévoué a notre... Prince... 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
The overall atmosphere of the painting is one of concern and attention, as the man appears to be focused on the woman's well-being.
The painting depicts a man in a suit standing in front of a woman seated in a chair. The man is leaning forward, looking at the woman with a concerned expression. The woman is wearing a long dress and has a hat on her head.
In the background, there is a doorway and a curtain hanging from the ceiling. The overall atmosphere of the painting is one of concern and attention, as the man appears to be focused on the woman's well-being.
The painting is a lithograph on newsprint, created by Honoré Daumier in 1841. It is held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and is an example of Romanticism. If you're interested in learning more about this style, you might want to look up Romanticism next.
Overview
Created in 1841, this lithograph on newsprint by Honoré Daumier presents a scene of a suited man leaning toward a seated woman. The composition includes a doorway and a hanging curtain, giving a modest interior setting. The work is part of the National Gallery of Art’s collection in Washington, D.C., and exemplifies Daumier’s engagement with the visual language of Romanticism.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures a moment of attentive concern: the man’s forward posture and worried expression suggest he is addressing the woman’s well‑being. The juxtaposition of the formal attire with the intimate gesture underscores a subtle critique of social manners, hinting at the performative deference expected in contemporary interactions.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, Daumier employed the fluid, gestural qualities of the medium to render exaggerated facial features and dynamic lines. The use of newsprint as a substrate reflects the print’s original function for rapid dissemination, while the Romantic emphasis on emotion and individual experience informs the work’s expressive tone.
History & Provenance
Daumier produced this print while contributing caricatures to Parisian papers such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*. The piece later entered the National Gallery of Art’s holdings, where it remains accessible to the public as a representative example of his early printmaking.
Context
The lithograph emerged during a period of political turbulence in France, when republican ideas challenged monarchical authority. Daumier’s satirical approach often targeted the sycophancy of courtly behavior, using humor and exaggeration to comment on the broader social hierarchy of the July Monarchy.
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.
