1838
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Actionnaires de mines... is a 1838 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two men in fancy hats and coats, leaning in close. One holds a rolled-up paper labeled "PIÈCE DE CAPITAL," while the other looks skeptical. Their faces are drawn with bold, exaggerated lines—one man’s mouth is slightly open, the other’s eyes are wide and scrunched. The caption below jokes about miners digging for treasure, but here they’re just arguing over paperwork. The rough, sketchy style makes it feel like a quick, funny snapshot. Next, check out how lithography works—this print was made that way.
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.
See the richer artist page
