1838
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Appuyez fort, ça fait rentrer la bosse... is a 1838 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two people leaning over a third, who’s slumped on a chair with their head in their hands. The person on the left is pointing at the seated figure’s head, while the one on the right gestures wildly, like they’re explaining something urgent. The lines are loose and fast, almost like scribbles, and the whole scene feels chaotic. The title written below is in French and roughly translates to *"Push hard, it makes the bump go in..."*—likely a joke about a fake medical cure. The sketch’s rough style and humor fit Daumier’s sharp social commentary. Check out lithography to see how artists like Daumier made prints with stone and ink.
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.
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