Artwork
Un réconciliation, scène de haute comédie ...
Un réconciliation, scène de haute comédie ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Un réconciliation, scène de haute comédie is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, a printmaker known for his satirical works.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts two formally dressed individuals with exaggerated features embracing, yet their serious expressions and divergent gazes suggest a superficial reconciliation, satirizing the facade of social harmony.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, a technique allowing for mass production of detailed images, the work showcases Daumier's skill in using this medium to convey nuanced satire through the figures' expressions and the surrounding context.
Context
The satirical tone is heightened by the presence of spectators in the background, underscoring the societal norms being critiqued.
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.
