Daumier, Honoré << doh MYAY, aw naw RAY >> (1808-1879), was a French artist and one of the most influential social critics of the 1800’s. Daumier worked mainly in lithography (a type of printmaking), but he also gained recognition for his painting and sculpture. During his life, Daumier was best known for his satirical cartoons and caricatures (satirical portraits).
Daumier’s works range from light satire to grim realism. Many of his caricatures ridicule middle-class tastes and values. He especially enjoyed attacking doctors and lawyers because he believed they used confusing language and special costumes to conceal their fraudulent practices.
Daumier often made small clay sculptures to use as models for his lithographs. One of the best examples of these sculptures is Ratapoil, a caricature of Emperor Napoleon III. This figure appears in several of Daumier’s lithographs as a political troublemaker. Many of Daumier’s paintings portray the working-class people of Paris. These works include The Third Class Carriage (about 1862) and The Washerwoman (1863).
Daumier was born in Marseille on Feb. 11, 1808. He grew up in Paris, where he worked as a lawyer’s errand boy. His experiences in the courts and on the streets of Paris gave him insight into the social struggles of the period. While in his 20’s, he studied drawing. He later worked as a cartoonist for French political magazines and newspapers. In 1832, he served six months in prison because of a caricature he drew of King Louis Philippe. Daumier died on Feb. 10, 1879.
