Who painted Une journée de pluie?

Une journée de pluie was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1865.

Where can I see Une journée de pluie?

Une journée de pluie is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Une journée de pluie?

Une journée de pluie is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Une journée de pluie

Honoré Daumier , 1865

Une journée de pluie is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1865 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Honoré Daumier’s lithograph *Une journée de pluie* presents a cramped interior of a billiards hall. Two male figures dominate the composition: one lunges toward a cue ball with exaggerated motion, while the other watches with a detached expression. The scene is rendered in loose, scratchy lines that convey a sense of immediacy and humor characteristic of Daumier’s genre prints.

Subject & Meaning

The work captures a fleeting, everyday moment in a public gaming space, highlighting the contrast between vigorous activity and indifferent observation. By exaggerating the gestures of the players, Daumier underscores the comic potential of ordinary leisure, inviting viewers to notice the subtle social dynamics at play within a seemingly mundane setting.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithography, the image was produced by drawing with greasy media on a flat stone surface, then treating the stone so that ink adheres only to the drawn areas. Daumier’s handling of the medium yields bold, uneven contours and a textured surface, reinforcing the lively, almost spontaneous atmosphere of the scene.

Context

Created during the mid‑19th century, the print reflects Daumier’s broader interest in contemporary urban life and popular pastimes. Lithography, then a relatively inexpensive and reproducible medium, allowed him to disseminate satirical and observational works to a wide audience, situating *Une journée de pluie* within the era’s burgeoning print culture.

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.