Who painted Un alibi?

Un alibi was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1848.

Where can I see Un alibi?

Un alibi is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Un alibi?

Un alibi is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Un alibi

Honoré Daumier , 1848

Un alibi 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

Rendered in the monochrome medium of lithography, the image captures a fleeting moment of dialogue, inviting viewers to infer the underlying tension.

Honoré Daumier’s lithograph titled *Un alibi* presents a compact scene of three men dressed in mid‑nineteenth‑century clothing. The figures stand close together, their postures and facial expressions suggesting a serious, perhaps confrontational exchange. Rendered in the monochrome medium of lithography, the image captures a fleeting moment of dialogue, inviting viewers to infer the underlying tension.

Subject & Meaning

The three protagonists appear engaged in a heated conversation, their gestures and glances hinting at the exchange of excuses or concealments. The title, *Un alibi*, reinforces the notion that the men are either offering or questioning justifications, thereby foregrounding themes of truth, deception, and social negotiation within an everyday setting.

Technique & Style

Daumier employs the lithographic process, using fine cross‑hatching to model light and shadow across the figures’ faces and clothing. This meticulous shading creates depth and accentuates emotional nuance, while the crisp line work maintains the immediacy characteristic of his observational style. The print’s tonal range underscores the tension without relying on color.

History & Provenance

Created during Daumier’s prolific period of social commentary, *Un alibi* reflects his interest in ordinary public life. While specific exhibition records are scarce, the work has circulated among private collections and appears in catalogues of 19th‑century French prints, confirming its attribution to Daumier and its place within his broader oeuvre of lithographic studies.

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.