Honoré Daumier. The Hellwig Collection

Both loved and feared—the artist Honoré Daumier (1808–1879) was one of France’s greatest draughtsmen. A keen observer and controversial contemporary critic, he made a name for himself in the political sphere in 19th-century Paris, primarily through his caricatures, which he produced for the illustrated periodicals “La Caricature” and “Le Charivari”. Daumier became the conscience of an epoch marked by radical social and political upheaval and profound change.