☙ Daumier, les bustes des parlementaires

1980 - Pierre Cabanne, Michèle Gregori, Michel Leduc

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☙ Daumier, les bustes des parlementaires

✑ Pierre Cabanne, Michèle Gregori, Michel Leduc

LES BUSTES DES PARLEMENTAIRES PAR HONORÉ DAUMIER

Honoré Daumier (1808-1879) remains in the collective memory as the fierce caricaturist of 19th-century French society, the genius lithographer who unsparingly depicted the flaws of the bourgeoisie, the turpitudes of the judicial system, and the misery of the working classes. His sculptural work, however, remains largely unknown to the general public. The book "Les Bustes des parlementaires par Honoré Daumier", published in 1980 by Edita, precisely fills this gap by highlighting a fascinating and secret facet of the artist's talent. For the first time, this book brings together all the charge-busts modeled by Daumier in the early 1830s, representing with striking truthfulness thirty-six prominent figures of the French Parliament during the July Monarchy. These sculpted portraits, initially conceived as preparatory studies for his satirical lithographs published in "La Caricature" and "Le Charivari", demonstrate a sharpness of observation and a technical mastery that many of the artist's contemporaries were unaware of.

Why add it to your collection?

Standard reference on Daumier's little-known sculptural work

Texts by renowned art historians (Cabanne, Gregori, Leduc)

Superb photographs by Robert Descharnes, a Dali specialist

The busts immortalize political figures and mores of 19th-century France

Original 1980 edition in excellent condition, rare on the market

Description

General Presentation

This hardcover publisher's volume, measuring 24.5 x 31.5 cm, is a monograph dedicated to Honoré Daumier's sculpted series of "Parliamentarians". Produced in collaboration by renowned art critic Pierre Cabanne, along with Michèle Gregori and Michel Leduc, the study is enriched by the photographs of Robert Descharnes, famous for his work on Salvador Dalí. The cloth-bound cover, stamped with gilt letters, protects 105 pages of quality paper, offering a faithful reproduction of the series.

Historical and Artistic Context

The original busts were modeled in coloured raw clay between 1832 and 1835. Daumier used them as living models for his lithographs intended for republican opposition newspapers. These works, with their pitiless realism, captured the features and characteristic expressions of the dominant political figures of the "Juste Milieu", often turned to ridicule. Long remaining in the shadows, the original plasters were rediscovered in the 20th century and edited in bronze by the Barbedienne foundry starting in 1929 thanks to the art dealer Maurice Le Garrec.

Content Analysis

The book is structured around the complete photographic reproduction of the thirty-six busts. Each portrait is accompanied by a detailed biographical note of the represented parliamentarian, thus contextualizing Daumier's virulent social and political criticism. The introductory texts analyze the genesis of these sculptures, their preparatory function, their place in Daumier's work, and the history of their rediscovery. The iconography mixes contemporary views of the bronzes and archival documents.

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