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Celebrrrre Jury de Peinture...

Original title: Celebrrrre Jury de Peinture..., published in Le Charivari, March 16, 1840

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

March 16, 1840

Medium

Lithograph; third state of four (Delteil)

Dimensions

Sheet: 9 5/8 × 12 3/8 in. (24.5 × 31.5 cm) Image: 7 5/8 × 10 9/16 in. (19.3 × 26.8 cm)

Credit line

Gift of Weston J. Naef, in honor of Kathleen W. Naef, 1978

kurzbeschreibung

Unlike many contemporary depictions that present juries as solemn authorities, Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'Berühmte Mal-Jury ...' of 16 March 1840 offers a comic gathering of men in formal dress. Published in the satirical journal Le Charivari, this print is the third of four states (Delteil) and exemplifies Daumier's satirical take on the Parisian art world.

Description

In a room, several gentlemen in formal attire have assembled; some wear hats, and they seem to be engaged in lively discussion. One peers through a telescope while another leans forward, drawing on a paper with a pen. A painting in the background is being examined by a person in a coat. Exaggerated expressions and unusual positioning give the figures a caricatural air. The layout is dynamic, with even lighting and no strong shadows.

Context

Daumier published the lithograph in Le Charivari, a journal famous for its political and social caricatures. The 'Jury de Peinture' alludes to the official juries of the Paris Salon, which decided on the admission of artworks and were often seen as elitist and arbitrary. Daumier, himself a lithographer, used this print to mock the art world and its decision-making. It was created at a time when the Salon played a central role in artistic life.

Impact

Through caricatural exaggeration and the absurd arrangement of figures, the lithograph feels comic and ironic. By showing the jury as a group peering through telescopes and sketching, their authority is undermined and they appear ridiculous. The viewer smiles while recognizing the satirical critique of art bureaucracy.

Technique

This lithograph was drawn with greasy chalk on stone and then printed. Daumier used sharp contours and detailed strokes typical of 19th-century lithography. The print survives in the third of four states, indicating later revisions by the artist.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)