1868
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Un procédé pour qu'il marche sans avancer is a 1868 ink by Honoré Daumier, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a donkey with a saddle labeled "Procrès" struggling to move forward under a heavy load. The donkey is straining against a tall, narrow column, while its legs sink into soft ground. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to show the effort and frustration. The title, *Un procédé pour qu'il marche sans avancer*, means "A method for making it walk without moving." This is a playful jab at slow progress or wasted effort. Next, look up lithography to see how artists like Daumier made prints with stone and ink.
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.
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