Monsieur dessine un paysage 1846

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, Monsieur dessine un paysage, in 19th century France, using lithographic crayon and transfer paper on paper. Here, Daumier satirizes the figure of the landscape painter, a figure of some social importance at the time. Daumier worked for the illustrated satirical journal Le Charivari. In this print, he shows us an artist sketching "en plein air," that is, out of doors, in front of his subject. He is being scrutinized by a group of middle-class onlookers. Daumier’s commentary undermines the notion of the artist as an inspired figure, set apart from the bourgeoisie. Instead, he suggests that the artist's activity is itself a spectacle, subject to bourgeois judgment. To understand Daumier’s print more fully, we might look at other images he produced for Le Charivari and consult publications of the time to find out more about the artistic institutions and social attitudes that shaped his work. Remember that the meaning of art is always dependent on its social context.