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Honoré-Victorin Daumier

The Displeasure of a Sculpture Placed in the Middle of an Exhibition of Paintings, plate 5 from Salon De 1857

1857
Lithograph in black on white wove paper
24.6 × 21 cm (9.7 × 8.3 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

In this lithograph, Daumier lampooned the popularity of paintings in the annual Salon by placing an overwrought sculpture atop a round settee in the center of a painting gallery. The total number of works of art exhibited at the Salon was already over 5,000 by this date, and paintings were hung nearly from floor to ceiling. As a result, the sculpture in the middle of the room becomes effectively invisible, as viewers seated below only look outward. With so much color on the surrounding walls, the sculpture becomes a monochrome, washed-out specter despite its imposing scale and animated antics.

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