1848
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Plusieurs gardes nationaux qui n'avaient pas songé... is a 1848 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a chaotic scene on a ship. A group of men in rough clothes are crowded together—some standing, some kneeling, and one lying flat on the deck. Their faces look tense, and one man is holding a hat while another leans on a barrel. The ship’s rigging and waves in the background make the space feel cramped and stormy. Notice how the artist used quick, sketchy lines to show movement and emotion. This style makes the scene feel urgent, like something’s about to happen. Next, look up lithography to see how artists like Daumier created prints with stone and ink.
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.
See the richer artist page
