Description of the picture:
Nosha (Laundress) – Honore Daumier. Between 1850-1853. Canvas, oil. 130×98
Honore Daumier (1808-1879) – the largest French graphic artist, master of political caricature, painter and sculptor. If Daumier’s graphic works are filled with irony and satire, then in his paintings he acts as a romantic, giving all his sympathies to his heroes.
The painting “Nosha” characterized by truly romantic tension. A woman and her young child are knocked out of their last strength, overcoming the rage of the elements. The wind almost knocks them down, but they stubbornly continue to move forward. The artist omits unnecessary details, leaving only figures of travelers, the volume of which is emphasized by a wide hatch. The painter does not create an illustration of the severity of the work of the washerwoman, but a monumental image of the drama of life. The woman here is the embodiment of hopelessness, and the landscape with stern accompaniment echoes her desperate movements. The canvas is мейд in a gloomy, dark color, it is characterized by sharp contrasts of chiaroscuro, generalized forms and expressive lines. The plot was extremely important for the master. In various museums there are about ten versions of this work."
