Who painted Quand le crime ne donne pas?

Quand le crime ne donne pas was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1848.

Where can I see Quand le crime ne donne pas?

Quand le crime ne donne pas is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Quand le crime ne donne pas?

Quand le crime ne donne pas is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Quand le crime ne donne pas

Honoré Daumier , 1848

Quand le crime ne donne pas is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Honoré Daumier's 1848 lithograph *Quand le crime ne donne pas* (When Crime Does Not Pay) is a satirical print critiquing the French justice system during a period of political turmoil.

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts three indifferent men in judicial attire, surrounded by inconsequential objects in a bare courtroom setting. The title *Les Gens de Justice* (People of Justice) ironically highlights the scene's absurdity, critiquing the ineffective and possibly corrupt handling of justice.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithograph, the piece showcases Daumier's characteristic satirical caricature style, previously featured in publications like *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*. The simple, expressive lines and minimal background emphasize the figures' apathy and the system's emptiness.

History & Provenance

Created in 1848, amidst France's political upheaval between the 1830 Revolution and the 1870 fall of the Second Empire, the work aligns with Daumier's republican democratic views, targeting the flaws in the monarchy-aligned judicial system.

Context

Part of Daumier's broader commentary on 19th-century French social and political life, *Quand le crime ne donne pas* reflects the era's discontent with institutional failures, resonating with the public's skepticism towards the establishment.

Legacy

As part of Daumier's satirical oeuvre, the lithograph contributes to his legacy as a vocal critic of societal ills through art, influencing future generations of political cartoonists and satirists.

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.