Who painted Inconvénient de louer... non loin d'une rivière?

Inconvénient de louer... non loin d'une rivière was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1847.

Where can I see Inconvénient de louer... non loin d'une rivière?

Inconvénient de louer... non loin d'une rivière is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Inconvénient de louer... non loin d'une rivière?

Inconvénient de louer... non loin d'une rivière is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Inconvénient de louer... non loin d'une rivière

Honoré Daumier , 1847

Inconvénient de louer... non loin d'une rivière is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1847 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1847, this lithograph on newsprint belongs to the prolific output of Honoré Daumier, a French artist renowned for his caricatures in newspapers. The print’s title, referencing the inconvenience of renting near a river, hints at a domestic scene rendered with humor and social commentary typical of Daumier’s mid‑century work.

Subject & Meaning

The image depicts a hunched figure seated in a dimly lit room, clutching a candle and a bundle of clothing. The man’s face is partially concealed by his hat, and his weary posture suggests hardship, possibly linked to dampness from a nearby river, underscoring the everyday struggles of lower‑class tenants.

Technique & Style

Executed as a lithograph on inexpensive newsprint, the work employs swift, sketch‑like lines that convey immediacy and spontaneity. Daumier’s use of stark contrast and minimal detail emphasizes mood over realism, a hallmark of his satirical visual language.

History & Provenance

Produced during Daumier’s tenure as a regular contributor to French periodicals, the print circulated widely among the reading public. Its distribution on cheap paper reflects the artist’s intent to reach a broad audience with his republican‑leaning critiques of social conditions.

Context

The lithograph aligns with Daumier’s broader practice of targeting institutions such as the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy through biting humor. By focusing on a modest tenant’s plight, the image comments on the broader inequities of mid‑19th‑century French society, resonating with contemporary democratic sentiments.

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.