Collecting Engravings, ca. 1870 - ca. 1873

Honoré Daumier is mainly known as a draughtsman and lithographer. There are almost four thousand known prints by this artist. In his prints Daumier criticized the bourgeoisie of his era or poked gentle fun at the lower social classes. Daumier felt that oils were a time-consuming way of painting; thus many of his paintings remained unfinished. His favourite subjects include scenes from daily life and portraits of artists and lawyers. Daumier also enjoyed the theme of Prints collectors, a theme which he covered repeatedly. The Ghent study is dated approximately around 1870-1873, a period during which the artist preferred airy brush strokes and theatrical light effects. His attention was mainly drawn to the expressive posture of the art lovers.