Who painted L’attente à la gare?

L’attente à la gare was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1866.

Where can I see L’attente à la gare?

L’attente à la gare is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is L’attente à la gare?

L’attente à la gare is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of L’attente à la gare?

Museum-quality prints of L’attente à la gare are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

L’attente à la gare

Honoré Daumier , 1866

L’attente à la gare is a drawing by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1866 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

He sketched many groups—musicians, collectors, street performers—to show different walks of life.

Honoré Daumier drew this scene of four people waiting in a train station around 1865–66. It’s part of his series on everyday life in the 1860s. He sketched many groups—musicians, collectors, street performers—to show different walks of life.

Daumier didn’t just show faces. He grouped travelers by type: a worker, a traveler, and two others, all caught in quiet moments. The drawing feels alive because of how he caught their postures.

Check out more of Daumier’s work at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Overview

L’attente à la gare is a drawing by Honoré Daumier, created circa 1865–66, depicting four individuals waiting in a train station.

Subject & Meaning

The work captures a mundane moment in the lives of diverse social types, including a worker and a traveler, highlighting their distinct postures and quiet, individualized experiences.

Technique & Style

Daumier’s observation skills are evident in the expressive, posture-driven characterization of each figure, imbuing the scene with a sense of lived experience.

History & Provenance

Part of Daumier’s 1860s series on everyday life, this drawing is one of several thematic collections he produced, including those on musicians, collectors, and street performers.

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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.