The Connoisseur
Part of Daumier’s working process in creating his watercolor, "The Connoisseur" (29.100.200), this counterproof was likely made from a lost drawing. It presents the mirror image of many elements of the watercolor: the collector in profile reclining in an armchair with a stuffed portfolio propped up by its side; the bust that looks down from the pedestal behind him and the round table cluttered with objects that he faces. Missing from the table is the statuette of the Venus de Milo, the focal point of the connoisseur’s gaze in the finished drawing, which is placed behind his proper left shoulder in this work. Daumier’s counterproofs are most often worked over in other media. Here, only the slightest correction has been made to the nose, leaving the transferred drawing visible for close analysis.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Connoisseur
- Artist: Honoré Daumier (French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois)
- Date: ca. 1860
- Medium: Counterproof of a graphite drawing with addition in black crayon
- Dimensions: Sheet: 16 × 13 1/2 in. (40.6 × 34.3 cm)
Framed: 25 1/8 × 22 3/4 in. (63.8 × 57.8 cm) - Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Gift of the Maria and Conrad Janis Estate, 2024
- Object Number: 2024.77.1
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Honoré Daumier
1851
Honoré Daumier
1825–79
Honoré Daumier
Aubert et Cie
[1840]
Honoré Daumier
January 4, 1843
Honoré Daumier
November 21, 1848
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.