← Honoré Daumier

A Man Reading in a Garden (recto); Preliminary sketch for a Man Reading in a Garden (verso)

Original title: A Man Reading in a Garden (recto); Preliminary sketch for a Man Reading in a Garden (verso)

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

ca. 1865

Medium

Watercolor over black chalk, with pen and ink, brush and wash, and lithographic crayon. Verso: pen and brown ink, black gray wash, and lithographic crayon

Dimensions

13 5/16 x 10 5/8 in. (33.8 x 27cm)

Credit line

H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929

kurzbeschreibung

Around 1865 Honoré Daumier devised this quiet scene of a man reading outdoors. The sheet is executed in watercolor over black chalk, with additions of pen and ink, brush and wash, and lithographic crayon. It shows a reader in a broad-brimmed hat seated on a round stone, absorbed in a book, surrounded by dense foliage.

Description

A seated man in a broad-brimmed hat wears a jacket over a long shirt and trousers. He rests on a low round stone, enclosed by a cluster of leafy trees whose dark, almost black tones make the vegetation stand out. Light falls from the left onto the figure and trees, while the right side of the image carries faint shading. Dark grays dominate, with light accents that seem to come from sunlight. The layout stays simple and draws the eye to the contemplative mood of the reader in the garden.

Context

Daumier became known in the nineteenth century chiefly as a caricaturist and lithographer; in later years he turned more toward painting and watercolor. This sheet belongs to that phase, which favors everyday scenes and intimate moments. On the reverse is a preparatory study in pen and brown ink that makes the artist's working process legible. The work is part of a series of studies in which Daumier shows his interest in quiet and contemplation.

Impact

A still, almost meditative mood emanates from the sheet and invites the viewer to pause. Dark tones and the interplay of light and shadow create an intimate, reflective atmosphere. The reading man stands clearly at the center.

Technique

For the recto Daumier combines watercolor, black chalk, pen and ink, and brush and wash, supplemented by lithographic crayon. The verso uses pen and brown ink with gray wash and lithographic crayon. This mixture of media yields a lively, detailed view with fine gradations.

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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)