1840
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Poète classique composant une églogue... is a 1840 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a tall man in old-fashioned clothes, holding a pipe and looking up like he’s lost in thought. A kid stands next to him, pointing at something with a big grin, while another child kneels on the floor, clutching a book and looking shocked. The room looks messy, with scattered toys and a chair in the background. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to make the scene feel lively and full of energy. The messy room and the kids’ reactions suggest the man might be telling a story or reading something unexpected. Next, look up lithography to see how artists like Daumier made prints like this.
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
