Rating and value of works, drawings, paintings, sculptures by Honoré Daumier

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Artist's rating and value Honoré Daumier   

Honoré Daumier is considered one of the most versatile artists of the 19th century, leaving behind him a unique artistic identity. This legacy consists mainly of caricatures and paintings.

Now, with prices for his works rising under auctioneers' gavels, his stock is on the rise.

His canvases and other works are particularly prized, especially by French buyers, and the price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €5 to €1,897,990, a considerable delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Daumier's works.

In 2018, a cartoon entitled Discussion d'avocats, and dating from 1860 sold for €1,513,980, while it was estimated at between €841,000 and €1,260,000. 

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious 

Style and technique of the artist Honoré Daumier  

Honoré Daumier was part of the realism movement. He worked in many different techniques, including painting, drawing, engraving and sculpture, as did Degas. He also excelled in caricature, having worked for several satirical newspapers of his day.

The life of Honoré Daumier

Honoré Daumier (1808-1879) was a French painter and sculptor considered one of the leading artistic exponents of his time. Born in Marseille, his father was a picture framer.

His literary ambitions took him to Paris at an early age, where he wanted to get his poems published. His parents followed him to Paris, but his father adamantly refused to let him turn to art, and arranged for him to work for a bailiff.

He met Alexandre Lenoir in 1822 and became his protégé, beginning his training as an artist at the Académie Suisse. He chose lithography to begin his career, a choice by default that proved productive. He worked anonymously and did not sign his works.

He meets Charles Philipon, and works for his newspaper La Silhouette.

He made his name with his political caricatures. Published in the newspaper La Caricature, his lithographs of the July monarchy and his pear-shaped faces quickly caused a scandal. He was convicted for a caricature of Louis-Phillipe d'Orléans as Gargantua, and spent six months in prison.

It was these caricatures for the most part that made his name, although he was also in demand for his sculptures and paintings, most of which had nothing to do with satyrdom.

It was this experience that inspired his caricatures of hard-bitten lawyers. He met Paul Huet in prison and encouraged him to turn to the caricature genre.

After 1835, he had to stop caricaturing, as the press was censored by law. So he decided to make fun of the bourgeoisie, in line with his political convictions, even though he could no longer mock the current regime.

He painted more pictures at the end of his career, sharing social realism with Gustave Courbet.

He spent the end of his career in Valmondois, then in financial difficulties, in a house that Camille Corot lent him.

He died shortly afterwards, and his body was laid to rest alongside his painter friends at Père-Lachaise.

Caricature in the 19th century

In the 19th century, caricature, a true distorting mirror of society, developed into an art form in its own right, finding particularly fertile ground in France.

Under the sharp pen of masters such as Honoré Daumier, it became a formidable weapon against the powerful and the shortcomings of society.

Daumier himself made a name for himself with his biting depictions of the July monarchy, where his lithographs reveal Louis-Philippe grotesquely transformed into a pear, symbolizing the gentrification and ineptitude of the regime.

These kinds of works, published in satirical journals like La Caricature, contributed to the birth of a militant press, where humor blended with social criticism.

Cartoons, often repressed and censored at the time, became a means of expressing popular frustration, giving a voice to those whom society sought to stifle.

Despite censorship of the press after 1835, caricaturists found devious ways to continue their art, mocking the bourgeoisie as witnesses to a changing society.

In this way, 19th-century caricature, beyond its playful aspect, stands out as a living testimony to the political and social tensions of its time, where art becomes resistance.

Honoré Daumier and political cartooning

Focus on The Defender, Honoré Daumier

Honoré Daumier's iconic work, Le Défenseur, embodies with striking force the social satire that permeates his work.

Painted with deliberate sobriety, this painting depicts a lawyer in the middle of a pleading, his theatrical posture contrasting with the apparent indifference of the audience around him.

The defender's face, marked by exaggerated eloquence, betrays both the ardor and the ridiculousness of a profession that Daumier never ceases to deride.

The painting's coarse, almost caricature-like brushstrokes and dark palette highlight the emptiness of legal discourse, often detached from the human realities it is supposed to represent.

The work's tight composition, in which the characters seem crammed into a suffocating space, is reminiscent of the theater of the absurd, where roles are overplayed, but nothing of real significance is played out.

As a keen observer of the courts, Daumier captures the essence of a judicial system he sees as out of touch with the people, more preoccupied with verbal jousting than the quest for justice. The Defender is therefore not just a courtroom scene; it's an acerbic critique of an institution which, under the garb of grandeur, often masks futility and self-satisfaction. 

In this picture, Daumier doesn't just paint a scene. He captures, with biting irony, the soul of an age when words replaced action, when representation prevailed over reality.

In this way, Le Défenseur becomes an allegory of 19th-century bourgeois society, which Daumier never ceases to depict, sometimes with humor, sometimes with bitterness, but always with uncompromising lucidity.

Daumier's imprint on his time

Honoré Daumier, a deeply committed artist, established himself throughout his career as the voice of the underprivileged and oppressed, using his art as a means of social denunciation.

Like Gustave Courbet or John ConstableDaumier always sought to depict the raw reality of his time, eschewing academic ideals in favor of biting realism.

His often virulent caricatures point the finger at the failings of bourgeois society and the injustices done to the working classes.

This audacity often landed him in the crosshairs of the authorities, prompting him to publish his works anonymously to avoid reprisals.

The artist was thus able to circumvent censorship, but at the cost of a certain personal invisibility, which only strengthens the aura of mystery surrounding his work.

This choice of anonymity also contributed to the dispersal of his creations, which today are mainly kept by private collectors.

Although some of his works have found a home in museums, it's thanks to these enthusiasts that Daumier's legacy lives on.

These collectors play a crucial role in preserving an artistic heritage that continues to resonate with relevance and critical depth.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Daumier sometimes signs his works, usually at the bottom of the painting, in a color that contrasts with the background. Here's an example. Sculptures can also be signed.

However, there are many copies, so expertise is important. The cartoons are generally unsigned, as he published them anonymously.

Knowing the value of a work 

If you happen to own a Daumier painting or one based on the artist, don't hesitate to ask for a free estimate using the form on our website.

A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the market value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it.

If you're thinking of selling your work of art, our specialists will also be on hand to help you find alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking market trends into account.