Exploitation of love. c 1838 / Honore Daumier
For my first work of art, I have chosen a print by the nineteenth century French painter, Honore Daumier. Daumier was well-known for his caricatures satirizing the behavior of his countrymen.
In his black and white drawings, Daumier uses concavities and convexities of the torso to skillfully portray characters. His use of shape qualities captures their relationships, often in a humorous manner.
For example, in this rendering of a couple, the fellow seems to be advancing while the lady is retreating. These contrasting shapes convey a lot about the state of their romance.