The artwork, titled “Unknown, maybe Hippolyte Lucien-Joseph Lucas (1807-1878), a Journalist, maybe P.Mendez de Vigo (1790-1860) a Spanish General, but Most Probably the Count Pelet de la Lozere (1785-1871), a Politician,” was created by renowned artist Honoré Daumier in 1833. It is a clay sculpture, belonging to the Realism art movement, and is currently housed in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France.
The sculpture depicts a bust of a man with a distinctively protruding nose and exaggerated facial features, typical of Daumier’s caricature style. The figure is dressed in a heavy coat and wear a cap, which adds to the overall somber and contemplative expression depicted in the piece. The artwork captures the subject’s character with a unique blend of realism and subtle exaggeration, reflecting Daumier’s mastery in portraying human emotion and personality. The rough texture and earthy tones of the clay further enhance the sense of realism, grounding the subject firmly within the everyday context of 19th-century life.
