Who painted Dernière élévation de soulouque?

Dernière élévation de soulouque was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1856.

Where can I see Dernière élévation de soulouque?

Dernière élévation de soulouque is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Dernière élévation de soulouque?

Dernière élévation de soulouque is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

Dernière élévation de soulouque

Honoré Daumier , 1856

Dernière élévation de soulouque is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1856 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

"Dernière élévation de Soulouque" is a lithographic print by Honoré Daumier that presents a surreal scene dominated by an oversized, anthropomorphic root vegetable. The figure, rendered with a human-like torso and leafy appendages that function as arms, looms over an ambiguous landscape, its presence both comic and disquieting.

Subject & Meaning

The work satirically references Faustin Soulouque, the 19th‑century president of Haiti, transforming his name into a visual pun. By casting the leader as a gigantic vegetable, Daumier merges political critique with the absurd, using the grotesque form to comment on power and its perceived excesses.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithography, the image relies on the medium’s capacity for fluid line and tonal variation. Daumier employs stylized foliage and swirling clouds to suggest motion, while the crisp outlines of the vegetable’s limbs emphasize its anthropomorphic qualities, creating a blend of realism and fantasy typical of his satirical prints.

History & Provenance

Created during Daumier’s prolific period of political caricature, the lithograph was circulated among his contemporaries as a commentary on international affairs. Its survival in museum collections reflects the broader interest in Daumier’s engagement with global politics, extending beyond his more familiar French subjects.

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.