Artwork
Un Jour de Grande Tenue
Un Jour de Grande Tenue 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. Created in 1844, this lithograph on wove paper presents a pair of figures dressed in military uniform.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1844, this lithograph on wove paper presents a pair of figures dressed in military uniform. The composition places the two men against a light, unobtrusive background, allowing their contrasting appearances to dominate the visual field. The work belongs to the printmaking practice of the mid‑nineteenth century, a period when the medium served both artistic and journalistic purposes.
Subject & Meaning
The left figure, outfitted with a tall hat and a dark coat trimmed with a white sash, suggests a youthful recruit at the outset of his service. In contrast, the right figure, similarly attired but with a fuller midsection, conveys the presence of an older, more seasoned officer. Together they offer a subtle commentary on the hierarchy and life stages within the French military establishment.
Technique & Style
The restrained palette and simplified background reflect the satirical print tradition, emphasizing narrative over decorative embellishment.
Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on the fluidity of grease‑based drawing on a limestone surface, later transferred to wove paper. Daumier’s handling of line and tone creates a clear delineation of uniform details while maintaining a relatively flat, graphic quality. The restrained palette and simplified background reflect the satirical print tradition, emphasizing narrative over decorative embellishment.
History & Provenance
The print emerged during Daumier’s prolific period of contributing caricatures to periodicals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari. While not a direct illustration for a specific article, it embodies the artist’s republican sensibilities and his critique of institutional authority. The work has circulated among private collections and museum holdings, illustrating the broader role of lithography in 19th‑century political discourse.
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.
Un jour de grande tenue
Les Deux banqueteurs en joie
Sire! Lisbonne est prise... (Sire! Lisbon has been captured...)
Ma patrie, a moi?...
Ayant attrapé un coup de soleil
En garde national
Trop étroit pour deux
Des gens dont le soleil réjouit peu la vue
Le jardin des Tuileries
La cour rend des services et non pas des arrêts!
Expliquez-moi donc, monsieur Badoulard...
Robert Macaire banquier et juré