Artwork
Un Défenseur... causant... dans son cabinet habituel
Un Défenseur... causant... dans son cabinet habituel 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. Created in 1846, the lithograph titled Un Défenseur.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1846, the lithograph titled Un Défenseur... causant... dans son cabinet habituel is a satirical print by French artist Honoré Daumier. Produced for the politically charged journals La Caricature and Le Charivari, the work exemplifies Daumier’s ongoing engagement with the social and political turbulence of mid‑nineteenth‑century France through caricature.
Subject & Meaning
The composition suggests a private, perhaps conspiratorial, exchange, aligning with Daumier’s habit of mocking the elite and clerical figures of his time.
The image depicts two elderly men inside a poorly illuminated interior. One, dressed in a tall black top hat and formal suit, holds a glass and a pipe, while the other, turned away, wears a wide‑brimmed hat and a loose jacket, reaching into his pocket. The composition suggests a private, perhaps conspiratorial, exchange, aligning with Daumier’s habit of mocking the elite and clerical figures of his time.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the print relies on swift, sketch‑like lines that outline clothing, facial features, and gestures. Daumier employs a soft, diffused lighting that draws attention to the men’s faces and hands, while the background remains vague, allowing the caricatured figures to dominate the visual narrative. The economical use of line underscores the immediacy of his social commentary.
History & Provenance
The lithograph was originally published in the satirical press, where Daumier’s republican sympathies found a receptive audience. Over the years it entered private collections before being acquired by public institutions dedicated to 19th‑century French art. Its presence in museum holdings reflects the lasting interest in Daumier’s critical perspective on the power structures of his era.
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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…
