Honoré Daumier (Father: Jean-Baptiste Louis Daumier, a glazier and aspiring poet; Mother: Cécile Catherine Philippe; Spouse: Marie-Alexandrine Dassy) Honoré Daumier (1808–1879) was a prolific French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, widely regarded as the “Michelangelo of Caricature.” He was a fierce social and political critic whose work provided a biting commentary on European society, the legal system, and the bourgeois lifestyle of the 19th century.
Born in Marseille and raised in Paris, Daumier began his career as a lithographer’s assistant. He gained notoriety in the early 1830s for his political cartoons in journals like La Caricature and Le Charivari. His work was so provocative that in 1832, he was sentenced to six months in prison for portraying King Louis-Philippe as a gluttonous giant (“Gargantua”) consuming the wealth of the poor.
Daumier produced over 4,000 lithographs during his lifetime, creating iconic characters like Robert Macaire to satirize the corruption of the business class. However, his artistic ambition extended beyond caricature. In his later years, he focused on oil paintings that showcased a mastery of light and shadow, often depicting the hardships of the working class. His masterpiece, The Third-Class Carriage (c. 1862–1864), remains a powerful emblem of urban Realism.
Though he struggled financially and lost his eyesight toward the end of his life, his influence was monumental. His expressive, loose brushwork and psychological depth were deeply admired by later masters like Degas, Cézanne, and Picasso. He is credited with elevating caricature to a fine art and bridging the gap between the Romanticism of Delacroix and the Modernism of the 20th century.
Active in others filds : Sculpture (notably the Célébrités du Juste Milieu series of busts), Journalism, Social Activism.
