1804
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Sheet of Studies with a Group of Four Figures to the Right (recto) Sketches of Various Figures (verso) is a 1804 by Honoré Daumier, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This sketchbook page is packed with quick, messy drawings. On the top row, there’s a group of people sitting around a table, then a lone figure standing, and finally four people huddled together—some slumped, some bent over. The bottom row shows more figures: a man leaning forward with his head in his hands, a standing figure with a hat, and a few quick portraits of faces. The lines are loose and shaky, like the artist was working fast. Daumier often used sketches like these to practice poses and expressions. Notice how some figures overlap or are barely finished—this was his way of testing ideas without polishing them. If you like these rough, expressive drawings, check out Realism next.
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.
See the richer artist page
![Figure Studies [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/32b47b1a71716a78/thumb.webp)
![[Untitled] (Six Figure Studies) (recto) and [Untitled] (Seven Figure Studies) (verso)](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/b5b2310bda03be23/thumb.webp)
