Who painted Trois heures du matin...?

Trois heures du matin... was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1847.

Where can I see Trois heures du matin...?

Trois heures du matin... is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Trois heures du matin...?

Trois heures du matin... is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Trois heures du matin...

Honoré Daumier , 1847

Trois heures du matin... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1847 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1847, *Trois heures du matin.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1847, *Trois heures du matin...* is a lithographic print on newsprint by Honoré Daumier. The image captures a disordered interior where a barefoot man, arms raised in a frantic gesture, occupies the space amid scattered fabrics and a draped chair. A window framed by heavy curtains and a small framed picture completes the scene, evoking a moment of chaotic early‑morning activity.

Subject & Meaning

The composition portrays a figure caught in a wild, possibly celebratory or desperate pose, suggesting a sudden, unrestrained outburst at three o’clock in the morning. The accompanying title, *Les bons bourgeois*, signals a satirical jab at the middle‑class, implying that the depicted disorder mocks the pretensions of respectable citizens.

Technique & Style

Daumier employed lithography, a printmaking process that allowed rapid production on inexpensive newsprint. The medium’s capacity for bold, gestural lines suits the sketch‑like quality of the work, while the limited tonal range emphasizes the starkness of the interior and the figure’s exaggerated movement.

Context

The print belongs to Daumier’s prolific series of socially critical images produced for periodicals such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari* during the July Monarchy and the early Second Republic. In this era, his work served as a visual commentary on political corruption, class inequality, and the hypocrisies of the ruling elite.

Legacy

As part of Daumier’s extensive satirical oeuvre, this lithograph illustrates his skill in using everyday scenes to critique broader societal structures. The piece remains a reference point for the role of print media in 19th‑century political discourse and for the artist’s influence on later social realism and caricature.

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.