Who painted In Church?

In Church was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1855/1857.

Where can I see In Church?

In Church is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is In Church?

In Church is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of In Church?

Museum-quality prints of In Church are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

In Church by Honoré Daumier (1855/1857)

Inscription: Inscribed:lower left: h.D.

About this work

Technique & Style

The painting is classified as a genre scene, depicting an interior view that reflects Daumier's focus on everyday life and social observation.

Honoré Daumier executed In Church in 1855 using oil paint on a wood panel. This support choice is consistent with the artist's frequent use of panel for smaller-scale works during this period. The painting is classified as a genre scene, depicting an interior view that reflects Daumier's focus on everyday life and social observation.

The work remains in good condition and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

History & Provenance

Honore Daumier painted In Church in 1855 as an oil on wood work, classified as a genre scene. The painting entered the Parisian dealer Carabin’s stock by 1901 and was shown in a Daumier exhibition there that year.[1] It was sold on 30 June 1930 to Lessing J. Rosenwald of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania,[2] and subsequently gifted to the National Gallery of Art in 1943.[1][2]

In Church has been part of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., since 1943, when Lessing J. Rosenwald of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, gave it as a gift to the institution. Rosenwald had acquired the painting on 30 June 1930 from the Philadelphia dealer Charles Sessler, whose bill of sale identified it as "from collection of Carabin." By 1901 the work was owned by Carabin in Paris, who lent it that year to a Daumier exhibition in the city. The painting has remained in the NGA collection since the Rosenwald gift.

The provenance is documented through Sessler records in the Rosenwald Collection papers and the bill of sale dated 1 July 1930, both held in the Gallery Archives.

Legacy

The painting In Church exerted influence through its acquisition by major American collections, notably the National Gallery of Art, which received it as a gift in 1943. Its provenance reflects a documented chain of ownership from Carabin in Paris by 1901 to Lessing J. Rosenwald in 1930, and finally to the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.) in 1943. This trajectory illustrates its recognized significance within Daumier's oeuvre and its integration into a premier institutional collection, underscoring its enduring reputation in art historical narratives.

Overview

Created in 1856, In Church is an oil painting on wood by the French artist Honoré Daumier. Executed in the realist idiom, the work presents a modest interior scene that captures a moment of everyday life within a religious setting.

Subject & Meaning

The composition features three figures seated together, their forms and faces subtly merging. Two of the individuals wear head coverings, suggesting modesty or adherence to ecclesiastical customs. The subdued gathering invites reflection on communal worship and the social dynamics of mid‑nineteenth‑century France.

Context

In Church belongs to the Realism movement, which sought to depict ordinary people and settings without idealization. Daumier’s focus on a humble religious gathering aligns with the movement’s interest in social observation, contrasting with the grand historical or mythological subjects favored by earlier academic art.

Artist & collection

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Honoré-Victorin Daumier (French: ; 26 February 1808 – 10 or 11 February 1879) was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the…