Injustice, Inequality. Abuse of power. “Plus ça change”, as 19th-century caricaturist and artist Honoré Daumier might say today. The Albertina has an exhibition of his timeless works of commentary and satire.
- Around 200 pieces of art
- Mainly drawings & lithographs
- But also paintings and sculptures
- Runs Feb 6 – May 25, 2026
- Book Albertina tickets*
- See also:
Mirror of Society
(Honoré Daumier, The Legislative Belly, L’Association mensuelle, January 1834; 33.6 × 46.5 cm, lithograph sur blanc; the ALBERTINA Museum, Vienna)
Without wishing to sound like a 1000-year old Tolkienesque elf…that which has passed before shall pass again.
Anyone reporting at various times on 19th-century France might talk of political instability, socioeconomic turmoil, conflict, and abuses of power…sounds eerily familiar to many of us in 2026.
Fortunately, society has creative individuals able to use humour, caricature, and art to point out injustices, admonish those misusing their authority, call attention to sociopolitical grievances, and highlight the lives of those a long way from the top of the pyramid of wealth.
Honoré Daumier (1808-1879) was one such creative, who mainly expressed his observations and biting commentary through caricaturist magazine art in Paris.
The Albertina’s Daumier exhibition in cooperation with Frankfurt’s Städel Museum reveals the timeless nature of his work. It features almost 200 pieces, including loans from the Daumier collection donated by Hans-Jürgen Hellwig to the Museums-Verein of the Städel Museum.
(Honoré Daumier; The Print Collector, ca. 1860/1862; 31.2 x 25 cm; oil on panel; Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, property of the Städelscher Museums-Verein e.V.)
Prints and drawings dominate given they were the main media for Daumier’s caricatures. And these reveal the sharp observational skills and cutting wit he’s known for. So sharp and cutting that, with sad inevitability, Daumier paid the price in censorship and even prison time.
We even see that censorship in action in the exhibition, with “rejected” and “accepted” versions of the same works on display.
We accompany Daumier, then, as he takes us on a journey through French political and social history: a time of republics, emperors and kings. The exhibition introduces us to his targets and themes, motifs and motivations.
We also see, for example, paintings and drawings where Daumier removes his caricaturist hat. These reveal an artistic depth that documents social change and everyday lives with the same acute observational skill behind his magazine work.
A short animated film from the early 1990s also brings his work to life (with music by none other than Paul McCartney).
(Honoré Daumier; European equilibrium; Le Charivari, 03.04.1867; 28.7 × 22 cm, lithograph, newsprint; Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Eigentum des Städelschen Museums-Vereins e.V.)
The exhibition impressed me in various ways.
First, offering a little insight into another place and time. And demonstrating that the excuse “they didn’t know better” when it comes to historical injustices is not as self-evident as apologists would like us to believe. Daumier clearly knew better and used his art to inform others.
Second, I enjoyed exploring Daumier’s drawing approaches. How he uses composition and different levels of detail to draw your eye to where he wants it to go. Or his strong use of contrast. Or his ability to create expressive caricatures with a few strokes.
Third, while not all the satire is immediately clear to a 21st-century Austro-Englishman, the humour often overlays a deadly seriousness that makes some works astonishingly impactful: take a look at 1831’s A July Hero, for example.
Dates, tickets & tips
Enjoy the humour and art of Monsieur Daumier from February 6th to May 25th, 2026. An entrance ticket from or for the Albertina includes the special exhibition.
(Booking service provided by Tiqets.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
By coincidence, another 19th-century politically-active French artist has a special exhibition on in Vienna across much of the same time: Gustave Courbet over at the Leopold Museum (until June 21st, 2026).
Should you wish to stay in the 1800s, Lower Belvedere has landscapes centered around Austrian painter Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (February 27th to June 14th, 2026), but the exhibition also features the likes of Constable and Corot. Coincidentally, the latter’s portrait of Daumier hangs in the Albertina exhibition.
How to get there
The Albertina is central and just a short walk from a couple of major subway stations (Stephansplatz and Karlsplatz). For detailed travel tips, see my main Albertina article.
Address: Albertinaplatz 1, 1010 Vienna