Décadence du drame en 1866
1866
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1866
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Décadence du drame en 1866 is a 1866 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a crowded group of faces pressed together in a theater balcony. The people look bored, some yawning or staring blankly, while others lean on the railing. The lines are rough and sketchy, almost like a quick drawing—no smooth shading, just quick strokes to show expressions. The title at the bottom calls it *"Decadence of the Drama in 1866"* and jokes about the audience not seeing the play. Daumier made this as a lithograph, a printmaking method where artists draw directly onto a stone. Next, check out lithography to see how this sketchy style was made.
