Artwork
Sheet of Studies with a Group of Four Figures to the Right (recto) Sketches of Various Figures (verso)
Sheet of Studies with a Group of Four Figures to the Right (recto) Sketches of Various Figures (verso) is a drawing by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1804 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
This drawing, created around 1850-1860, is a double-sided sheet of studies by Honoré Daumier, held at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The recto features a collection of figure studies, including a group of four huddled individuals and isolated figures in various poses, while the verso contains additional sketches of figures.
Technique & Style
The drawings are characterized by loose, expressive lines and a sense of spontaneity, with some figures overlapping or left unfinished, reflecting Daumier's practice of testing poses and expressions.
Context
Daumier's sketches were likely used to explore and refine his artistic ideas, particularly in capturing human figures and emotions.
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.
The Feast of Herod (recto); Tomyris with the Head of Cyrus (verso)
The Bishop and the Demon (recto); Three Demons Holding a Knight (verso)
An Old Man Seated at a Table, His Head Resting on His Right Hand (recto); The Healing of Tobit (verso)
Three studies for a portrait of a Western woman and child
Pregnant Woman Contemplating Suicide (recto) Three Studies of a Child (verso)
Group of Six Children (recto); Sketch of a Village (verso)
Study of Hands (recto); Sketch of a Hand (verso)
Ruth and Boaz (recto) The Fall of Simon Magus (verso)