1835
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
C.-A. Gabriel, duc de Choiseul is a 1835 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a man in a fancy military uniform holding a hat in one hand and a scroll in the other. His face looks exaggerated, almost like a monkey’s, and he’s standing sideways. The uniform has shiny buttons and a star on the chest, but his posture feels stiff and awkward. The title at the bottom names him "C.-A. Gabriel, duc de Choiseul," and the text at the top mentions "Juges des accuses d'Août," which hints at a political joke. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to make the drawing feel alive and critical. Next, look up lithography to see how artists like Daumier made sharp, funny 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.
See the richer artist page
