Artwork
Promenade hygiénique et sentimentale ...
Promenade hygiénique et sentimentale ... 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 lithograph Promenade hygiénique et sentimentale presents a compact group of seven gentlemen assembled on a city street. Rendered in black‑and‑white, the print captures a moment of collective movement, the figures positioned closely together as they navigate an urban environment typical of mid‑19th‑century France.
Subject & Meaning
The men are dressed in formal attire—top hats and varied coats—that signal their social standing and the period’s emphasis on outward respectability. Their proximity suggests a shared purpose or social ritual, offering a glimpse into contemporary notions of public comportment and the performative aspects of status.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the work relies on bold line work and a loosely rendered architectural backdrop. Daumier’s sketch‑like treatment of the surrounding buildings creates a sense of bustling activity while keeping the focus on the figures, a characteristic approach that blends realism with caricature.
Context
Produced during the 1850s, the image reflects the rapid urbanization of Paris and the rise of a bourgeois class that used dress to assert identity. The composition mirrors the era’s preoccupation with hygiene and sentiment, themes that were increasingly discussed in public discourse and literature of the time.
History & Provenance
The lithograph is part of Daumier’s extensive series of social observations, many of which were published in contemporary newspapers and albums. It remains in the collections of several European institutions, illustrating the artist’s enduring relevance to studies of 19th‑century French urban life.
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.
