1847
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Est-il dieu permis... fendre du bois... is a 1847 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two men in a dimly lit room. One man stands with his hands behind his back, wearing a hat and long coat. The other man is mid-motion, lifting a heavy log above his head like he’s about to split it, dressed in a loose shirt and pants. A small table holds a pot and a kettle, and a pile of split wood lies on the floor. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to show the men’s tension and effort. The scene feels rough and real, like a moment frozen in time. Next, look up lithography to see how artists like Daumier made prints with stone and acid.
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
