Artwork

Mac-Adam [sic] et Bineau aux enfers. Par suite d'une punition terrible, mais méritée, ils sont condamnés à repaver les Champs Elysées.

Mac-Adam [sic] et Bineau aux enfers. Par suite d'une punition terrible, mais méritée, ils sont condamnés à repaver les Champs Elysées. is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 13 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Mac-Adam et Bineau aux enfers is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, depicting three figures in a fantastical, hellish scenario, engaged in an absurd task that serves as a vehicle for social commentary.

Subject & Meaning

The print shows three men, including the eponymous Mac-Adam and Bineau, condemned to repave the Champs Elysées in a hellish setting, symbolizing the artist's satirical critique of societal issues through exaggerated, humorous punishment.

Technique & Style

Daumier employs characteristic 19th-century caricature techniques, exaggerating facial expressions, muscles, and the scale of a massive rock, amplifying the comedic and critical impact of the scene.

History & Provenance

The lithograph circulated privately, never publicly exhibited during its time, reflecting its potentially sensitive, politically charged nature as a satire targeting French leaders.

Context

Created within a tradition of French political caricature, the work aligns with Daumier's practice of mocking authority figures through absurd, punitive scenarios.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Honoré Daumier

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…