1834
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
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 a half-circle, like a courtroom or meeting hall. Some are sitting at a long table, writing or talking, while others stand or lean in behind them. Their faces are expressive—some frown, some look bored, and a few seem to be arguing. The whole scene feels crowded and intense. The title at the bottom, *Le Ventre Législatif*, hints this might be a joke about politicians acting like a bloated belly. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to make it feel lively and full of personality. Next, check out the technique: lithography to see how this image 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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