1847
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Inconvénient d'un parapluie a ressorts trop compliqués is a 1847 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Romanticism work, depicting Umbrella, held at National Gallery of Art.
A man in a top hat struggles with an umbrella that’s snapped inside-out like a broken spider. His coat flaps in the wind, and his face is twisted in frustration. This isn’t just a joke about bad weather—it’s a jab at the over-engineered gadgets of the 1800s. Daumier drew for newspapers, poking fun at everyday life with quick, sharp lines. The umbrella’s tangled ribs look almost alive, making the man’s fight feel ridiculous and real at the same time. If you like this kind of sharp, funny art, look up the technique: lithography.
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
