Courtroom Studies

Courtrooms fascinated renowned printmaker and draftsman Honoré Daumier, who depicted them in many works on paper. In this work attributed to Daumier, some figures are fully rendered with brown ink and wash and highlighted with white. Others remain less fully developed. This diversity suggests the artist’s interest and ability in many different drawing styles.

We cannot confirm that this work was made by Daumier, and many of his peers also worked outside the traditions of the French Academy to depict French society in the 1800s. Compare it to the known Daumier drawing hanging nearby. Do you think this sheet of studies was made by Daumier, or by another artist?