Artwork
Un coléoptère chinois
Un coléoptère chinois is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1844 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
The other hides behind the glass, making you wonder what he’s up to.
Daumier’s 1844 lithograph shows two men by a window. One wears fancy clothes with bug-like details. The other hides behind the glass, making you wonder what he’s up to.
Daumier loved mocking fancy people with sharp humor. This print pokes at how class and odd fashions can look silly. The bug-like outfit isn’t real—just a joke about pretentious style.
His work often feels like quick cartoons. If you like his sharp eye, check out Daumier, Honoré.
Overview
Un coléoptère chinois is a lithograph created by Honoré Daumier in 1844, depicting an intriguing scene with two male figures positioned near a window.
Subject & Meaning
The print contrasts two individuals: one lavishly dressed with exaggerated, insect-like attire, symbolizing the artist's satire of pretentiousness and upper-class fashion, while the other remains partially obscured behind the window, introducing an element of mystery and potential subterfuge.
Technique & Style
Characterized by Daumier's distinctive approach, the lithograph exhibits a style reminiscent of quick, expressive cartoons, leveraging bold lines and simplified forms to convey satirical commentary.
History & Provenance
Created in 1844, specific details regarding the print's provenance and historical exhibition record are not provided in the available information.
Context
Part of Daumier's broader satirical oeuvre, 'Un coléoptère chinois' reflects his penchant for critiquing social class and absurd fashion through humorous, caricatured representations.
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.
