Artwork
L'Escompte d'un billet
L'Escompte d'un billet is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1844 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The composition is rendered in loose, gestural lines that emphasize the immediacy of the gesture rather than fine detail.
Created in 1844, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier captures a brief exchange between two men seated at a table. The composition is rendered in loose, gestural lines that emphasize the immediacy of the gesture rather than fine detail. As a work produced during Daumier’s extensive period contributing to satirical journals, it exemplifies his engagement with everyday French scenes through the medium of print.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents a standing figure leaning over to hand an object, likely a bill or ticket, to a seated older man, whose cap and pocketed pipe suggest a modest, perhaps working‑class identity. The interaction hints at a commercial transaction, inviting viewers to consider the social dynamics of money exchange and the subtle critique of financial practices prevalent in mid‑19th‑century France.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the work relies on the artist’s direct drawing on a stone surface, allowing for swift, expressive strokes that retain the spontaneity of a sketch. Daumier’s characteristic use of bold, uneven lines creates a sense of movement and immediacy, while the limited tonal range focuses attention on the figures’ gestures rather than decorative background.
Context
Produced while Daumier was a regular contributor to the satirical periodicals La Caricature and Le Charivari, the print reflects his republican sympathies and his habit of using humor to comment on contemporary social and economic issues. The piece aligns with his broader oeuvre that targeted the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy, employing the accessibility of print media to reach a wide audience.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
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…
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