1839
crayon
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Une heure is a 1839 crayon by Honoré Daumier, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a man in a tall hat and fancy coat, mid-stride, kicking a small dog. His face is exaggerated—big nose, wide grin—like he’s in the middle of a joke. In the background, two other people sit on a bench, ignoring him, while a tiny inset shows a sleeping face under a blanket. The title *Une heure* (French for "an hour") hints this might be a moment in someone’s daily life, but the man’s over-the-top pose suggests humor or satire. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to make it feel alive. If you like this style, check out lithography.
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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