1840
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Saisissement is a 1840 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
Daumier’s lithograph shows a worker bent over a cart, muscles straining as giant wooden wheels roll forward. The scene catches one second of effort, frozen in black and white. You can feel the weight of the load through the thick, scratchy lines. This wasn’t painted but printed on stone with greasy ink. Daumier used lithography to make bold contrasts—dark shadows against light—so the strain jumps out. Next, check out another lithograph by Daumier, Honoré.
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 pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
