Who painted Un nouvel anobli?

Un nouvel anobli was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1845.

Where can I see Un nouvel anobli?

Un nouvel anobli is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Un nouvel anobli?

Un nouvel anobli is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Un nouvel anobli

Honoré Daumier , 1845

Un nouvel anobli is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Honoré Daumier’s lithograph titled *Un nouvel anobli* presents a satirical scene of two gentlemen whose outsized noses and flamboyant attire dominate the composition. Rendered in the bold, flat tones characteristic of 19th‑century lithography, the print captures a moment of visual ridicule, inviting viewers to consider the social attitudes embedded in its exaggerated portraiture.

Subject & Meaning

The work portrays a pair of men whose exaggerated facial features and ostentatious clothing serve as a visual critique of bourgeois self‑importance. By inflating their noses and emphasizing their finery, Daumier underscores the pretensions and hypocrisy he perceived among the rising middle class, using humor to expose the disparity between outward status and inner substance.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on the medium’s capacity for crisp line work and tonal contrast. Daumier’s deft handling of the stone surface allows for precise delineation of the figures’ exaggerated anatomy while preserving the spontaneity of caricature. The flat, graphic quality aligns with the broader tradition of French satirical prints of the period.

Context

Created amid the social upheavals of mid‑19th‑century France, the print reflects contemporary anxieties about the expanding bourgeoisie following the 1848 revolutions. Artists like Daumier employed satire to comment on shifting power dynamics, and *Un nouvel anobli* fits within a larger corpus of visual commentary that questioned the legitimacy of newly acquired wealth and status.

History & Provenance

The lithograph was produced as part of Daumier’s prolific output for newspapers and pamphlets, where his caricatures circulated widely. Original impressions were likely distributed through print shops in Paris, reaching a broad audience that recognized the figures as archetypes of social ambition rather than specific individuals.

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.