Artwork
Un nouveau marius
Un nouveau marius is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1856 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1856, *Un nouveau Marius* is a lithographic print by Honoré Daumier. It belongs to the series of satirical images he produced during the Second Empire, a period marked by political tension in France. The work exemplifies Daumier’s commitment to using humor and exaggeration to critique contemporary society.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a dark‑clad individual wearing a pointed hat, rendered with an oversized nose and mouth that emphasize its caricatural nature. Set against a vague backdrop of trees and indistinct figures, the composition suggests a critique of social types rather than a specific portrait, reflecting Daumier’s republican concerns about hierarchy and authority.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on bold, dark inks and stark contrasts to convey a somber atmosphere. Daumier’s line work accentuates the exaggerated facial features, while the limited palette reinforces the work’s serious tone despite its humorous intent. The print’s texture and shading demonstrate his mastery of the medium for rapid, reproducible commentary.
History & Provenance
*Un nouveau Marius* was produced for the satirical journals that circulated in mid‑nineteenth‑century Paris, such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*. These publications served as platforms for Daumier’s republican viewpoints, allowing the print to reach a broad audience critical of the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy during the Second Empire.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
Valley in Bourgogne (Une vallee en Bourgogne)
Aux Environs de Menton
Memories of Fountainebleau in the Rain (Souvenir de Fountainebleau (Effet de pluie))
The Bull
The Little Shepherd
Shepherd with Four Goats (Les quatre chèvres)
The House of the Well (La maison du puits)
Bords de la Vie
Corner of a Path (Au coin d'un chemin)
The Watering Place (2nd Plate)
Landscape, or The White Horse, after Corot
Rest of the Traveler