Fugitives (Emigrants) c. 1850 - 1893

This bronze relief, "Fugitives," by Honoré Daumier, captures a group of people in motion, their forms emerging from a textured background. Daumier wasn't a traditional sculptor; he was a printmaker and caricaturist, deeply engaged with the social realities of his time. This work is made in bronze, a material associated with durability and permanence. But look closer. The figures appear roughly modeled, with an unfinished quality. This roughness is key. Daumier seems less interested in idealized beauty and more in conveying the raw, visceral experience of displacement. The bronze, usually associated with heroic sculpture, here depicts the weariness and struggle of ordinary people. Daumier’s choice of subject matter and material challenges the art world’s established hierarchy. He elevates the plight of the working class, and the bronze immortalizes their collective struggle. In doing so, Daumier blurred the lines between fine art and social commentary, creating a powerful statement about humanity and the relentless pursuit of a better life.