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Daumier, 1808-1879
Daumier, Honore
599 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2000
About the author
Honoré Daumier
194 books3 followersHonoré-Victorin Daumier
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor%C...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor%C...
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 6, 2020
This mammoth book was published as the catalog to accompany a 1999 traveling exhibit of the artist's work, the largest ever devoted to his oeuvre and containing examples of all the many media with which he experimented. As such, it is the most comprehensive introduction to Daumier available.
Like the writers Balzac, George Sand, and Victor Hugo, Daumier was one of the best known figures of French popular culture in the mid-nineteenth century. His staunchly republican, anti-monarchial caricatures that earned him a stay in prison 1832 were immensely popular among the French people and made his name a household word. It was not until shortly before his death, however, that he gained recognition as a fine arts painter and sculptor. Not that this did Daumier any good - he died in grinding poverty and almost entirely forgotten. It was only in the twentieth century that the extent of his accomplishments achieved belated recognition. It can now be seen that in his innovative paintings he anticipated not only the Impressionists but also such modern artists as Cezanne and Picasso. Many of his works appear cutting edge even by today's standards.
The book contains several informative essays as well as a detailed analysis of all the many works included in the exhibit. Much of this has to do with dating as Daumier never dated any of his works and only rarely signed them. The quality of the reproductions - many full-page size - is uniformly excellent, and the book also contains a useful chronology of the artist's life.
Like the writers Balzac, George Sand, and Victor Hugo, Daumier was one of the best known figures of French popular culture in the mid-nineteenth century. His staunchly republican, anti-monarchial caricatures that earned him a stay in prison 1832 were immensely popular among the French people and made his name a household word. It was not until shortly before his death, however, that he gained recognition as a fine arts painter and sculptor. Not that this did Daumier any good - he died in grinding poverty and almost entirely forgotten. It was only in the twentieth century that the extent of his accomplishments achieved belated recognition. It can now be seen that in his innovative paintings he anticipated not only the Impressionists but also such modern artists as Cezanne and Picasso. Many of his works appear cutting edge even by today's standards.
The book contains several informative essays as well as a detailed analysis of all the many works included in the exhibit. Much of this has to do with dating as Daumier never dated any of his works and only rarely signed them. The quality of the reproductions - many full-page size - is uniformly excellent, and the book also contains a useful chronology of the artist's life.
Displaying 1 of 1 review