Artwork
Premier grand prix de mathématiques, M. Cabuchet
Premier grand prix de mathématiques, M. Cabuchet is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1846 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The composition captures a moment of public acknowledgment of academic success, reflecting the cultural value placed on scholarly achievement in the period.
Honoré Daumée’s lithograph Premier grand prix de mathématiques portrays a ceremonial scene in which a youthful laureate stands on a platform, clutching a pair of laurel wreaths. He faces a bespectacled gentleman, and both figures display expressions of satisfaction. The composition captures a moment of public acknowledgment of academic success, reflecting the cultural value placed on scholarly achievement in the period.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, a school‑aged boy, symbolizes the triumph of youthful intellect, while the elder observer, identifiable by his glasses, represents the institutional authority that bestows honor. The mutual smiles suggest a shared pride, underscoring the societal belief that education merits public celebration and that recognition serves to reinforce communal ideals of merit and progress.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the work employs the medium’s characteristic bold lines and tonal contrasts to delineate the figures against a simplified stage backdrop. Daumier’s handling of light and shadow emphasizes the wreaths and faces, while the flat areas of ink convey a straightforward, narrative quality typical of his depictions of everyday events.
History & Provenance
Created during Daumier’s prolific period of social commentary, the print was likely produced for a contemporary audience familiar with academic competitions. It has circulated among collections of 19th‑century French prints, appearing in catalogues of the artist’s work that focus on his portrayals of public life and civic ceremonies.
Own this work as a print
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…
