Artwork
Réflection intime d'un épicier

Réflection intime d'un épicier is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1867 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Réflection intime d'un épicier is a 1867 lithograph by Honoré Daumier, capturing a contemplative moment of a grocer, characteristic of the artist's socially conscious oeuvre.
Subject & Meaning
Contrary to its title, the lithograph portrays two men in a desolate landscape, one somberly observing a sheep, the other standing solemnly. This discrepancy suggests the title's narrative might symbolize the grocer's introspection, juxtaposing the mundane with a broader, possibly melancholic, human experience.
Technique & Style
Daumier employed quick, expressive lines, hallmark of his printmaking style, to convey emotional depth and realism, inviting the viewer to interpret the scene's subdued tension.
History & Provenance
Created during Daumier's prolific period of satirical commentary on French society, this work aligns with his contributions to La Caricature and Le Charivari, though its direct political commentary is less overt than in other pieces.
Context
Emerging from 19th-century France, the piece reflects Daumier's republican and democratic sympathies, using everyday subjects as vehicles for subtle social reflection.
Legacy
While not one of Daumier's most overtly political works, Réflection intime d'un épicier contributes to his legacy of using printmaking as a tool for nuanced social observation.
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…


















