Artwork
Plus je me rapproche du soleil...
Plus je me rapproche du soleil... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1852 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s 1852 lithograph titled *Plus je me rapproche du soleil…* presents a surreal tableau: a man and a horse share a hot‑air balloon basket as it rises toward a bright sun. Executed in the print medium, the image combines a lighthearted visual gag with a broader reflection on human aspiration.
Subject & Meaning
The composition juxtaposes an ordinary rider with an animal companion in an improbable aerial setting, underscoring the absurdity of unchecked ambition. By sending both figure and beast skyward, Daumier hints at the desire to transcend earthly limits while simultaneously mocking the folly of overreaching.
Technique & Style
Created through lithography, the work relies on a stone‑based printing process that allows fine line work and tonal variation. Daumier’s characteristic sketch‑like strokes convey movement and humor, while the contrast between the dark balloon and the luminous sun demonstrates his skill in manipulating light within a monochrome medium.
History & Provenance
First issued in 1852, the print emerged during Daumier’s prolific period of social satire. It was circulated among the artist’s contemporaries as part of his series of caricature prints, reflecting the mid‑nineteenth‑century fascination with technological progress and the expanding possibilities of flight.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
