1869
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Mars sans carême is a 1869 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a big, exaggerated man sitting at a table, pouring something from a giant jug. His face is hidden under a hat, and he’s holding a bunch of grapes. On the table, there’s a small pyramid, a ship, and a sign that says "100000" with a word underneath. The drawing is rough and quick, like a sketch made fast. The title *Mars sans carême* hints this might be a joke about Lent—"Mars" could mean March, and "sans carême" means "without Lent," playing on food and rules. The grapes and pyramid might be clues, but it’s all drawn in a silly, exaggerated way. Want to see more? Try lithography to learn how this sketch 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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