1834
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Le Ventre Législatif (The Legislative Belly) is a 1834 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows rows of serious-looking men in suits, sitting in a half-circle like a courtroom or meeting hall. Some are writing, others are listening, and a few look bored or distracted. The faces are exaggerated—big noses, heavy chins, and wild hair—to make them look silly or important. At the front, a banner reads "BANQUES MINISTÉRIELLES," and the whole scene feels packed and a little chaotic. The artist used sharp lines and dark shading to make the faces stand out, almost like caricatures. This style was common in political cartoons to mock powerful people. Next, look up lithography to see how this print was made.
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.
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