Artwork
Voila bien des oeufs de cassés...
Voila bien des oeufs de cassés... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1866 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1866, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier bears the title Voila bien des oeufs de cassés.... Executed on newsprint, the work exemplifies Daumier’s prolific output of satirical prints that circulated widely in the French press of the mid‑nineteenth century.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts a cramped kitchen where two figures are engaged in a chaotic culinary episode. One man, bare‑chested, agitates a pan as smoke curls upward, while his companion, clad in a long coat, clutches a broken egg carton spilling cracked shells onto the untidy floor. A caption below teases the prospect of an omelet, using humor to highlight the frustrations of ordinary domestic life.
Technique & Style
Daumier employed lithography, a printmaking process that allowed rapid reproduction on inexpensive paper. The loose, sketch‑like lines and stark contrasts typical of his hand convey immediacy and vigor, reinforcing the comedic, observational tone of the image.
History & Provenance
Produced during Daumier’s long tenure as a caricaturist for French newspapers, the print was intended for mass consumption. Its use of newsprint underscores the artist’s strategy of reaching a broad audience through the everyday medium of the press.
Context
The work belongs to a period when Daumier regularly targeted social and political subjects, critiquing institutions such as the monarchy and clergy. Though this particular image focuses on a domestic vignette, it continues his practice of exposing the absurdities of daily existence.
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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…
- Ah! Monsieur ...votre bouillon est ...
On flaire la marchandise... avant de la mécaniser!...
Vue d'un atelier... avant l'exposition
Un Banquet d'hippophages
Eh! Ben ... puisque vous voulez qu' les bouchers ...
L'épée de Damoclès
Vous savez bien l'éponge que vous disiez...
Les Politiques de café
Origine des Bédoins a Paris
Un invité à un dîner d'hippophages: Vous offrirai-je encore un peu? C'est excellent, n'est-ce pas?
Vois le cours de la bourse
Moi je suis ravitaillé!...