Who painted Tenue de canicule?

Tenue de canicule was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1854.

Where can I see Tenue de canicule?

Tenue de canicule is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Tenue de canicule?

Tenue de canicule is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Tenue de canicule

Honoré Daumier , 1854

Tenue de canicule is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1854 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Their relaxed posture and gentle smiles suggest a moment of shared respite from the heat, rendered with Daumier’s characteristic observational acuity.

Honoré Daumier’s 1854 lithograph titled *Tenue de canicule* presents a brief glimpse of urban life on a sweltering day. The composition centers on two figures standing on a city street, each dressed in loose attire and clutching a broad handheld fan. Their relaxed posture and gentle smiles suggest a moment of shared respite from the heat, rendered with Daumier’s characteristic observational acuity.

Subject & Meaning

The work captures a quotidian encounter: two passers‑by seeking relief from oppressive temperatures. Their gestures—fans raised, bodies slightly inclined—communicate both personal comfort and a subtle social dialogue. By focusing on this ordinary scene, Daumée underscores the universality of human adaptation to climate, while also hinting at the leisurely pace of mid‑nineteenth‑century Parisian street life.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithography, the print showcases Daumier’s deft handling of line and tonal contrast. The artist employs broad, fluid strokes to delineate the figures’ garments and the surrounding architecture, while finer hatching suggests the shimmer of heat and the texture of the fans. The style balances caricature‑like exaggeration of facial expressions with realistic detail, a hallmark of Daumier’s observational prints.

History & Provenance

Created in 1854, *Tenue de canicule* belongs to a series of lithographs in which Daumier documented everyday Parisian scenes. While specific ownership records are sparse, the print has appeared in several 19th‑century collections of French graphic art and is frequently cited in catalogues of Daumier’s oeuvre, confirming its place within his extensive body of socially oriented works.

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.