Artwork
Mr Prudhomme. Tu vois, Oh! Mon fils ...
Mr Prudhomme. Tu vois, Oh! Mon fils ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1858 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1858, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier captures a fleeting, comic episode in which a formally dressed gentleman and a young boy watch a duck descending from the sky. The composition freezes a moment of spoken exchange, rendered with the artist’s characteristic vigor, and invites viewers to contemplate the absurdity of everyday occurrences.
Subject & Meaning
The print juxtaposes a well‑dressed adult, likely representing bourgeois respectability, with an astonished child, both fixated on an unexpected duck falling from above. The incongruous sight provokes laughter while subtly critiquing the pretensions of social class, suggesting that even the most dignified figures are vulnerable to the whims of chance.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the work relies on strong, gestural lines that define figures and movement with minimal shading. Daumier’s brisk, expressive strokes convey both the urgency of the duck’s descent and the characters’ reactions, exemplifying his talent for distilling narrative into a compact, graphic language.
History & Provenance
Printed in 1858, the image belongs to Daumier’s prolific period of socially charged prints that circulated widely in French newspapers and albums. While specific ownership records are scarce, the lithograph has been documented in several 19th‑century collections of the artist’s work, reflecting its role in his broader commentary on contemporary life.
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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…
