Un Coup de Vent non Prédit par Mathieu (de la Drôme), plate 1 from "Croquis d'Hiver"
Original title: Un Coup de Vent non Prédit par Mathieu (de la Drôme), plate 1 from "Croquis d'Hiver"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph from 1864 presents two passersby thrown off balance by an unexpected gust of wind. The print belongs to the series “Croquis d’Hiver” and bears handwritten notes in pen. What we see is a comic slice of everyday life in which everything is in rapid motion.
Description
A strong wind pushes both figures to the left. The left one’s hat flies off while her jacket flaps in the wind; the right one leans into the gust, holding on to her hat. Buildings and a street appear sketchily in the background. Gray dominates the color scheme, but an orange hat and a red spot at the lower edge of the sheet provide accents. The lithographic style thrives on hard contours and distinct shading.
Context
For the satirical magazine “Le Charivari,” where he had regularly published political and social caricatures since the 1830s, Daumier created the “Croquis d’Hiver” series. This sheet appeared on December 3, 1864, and refers to the meteorologist Mathieu (de la Drôme), whose weather forecasts were considered unreliable. By taking up everyday scenes, Daumier caricatured human weaknesses and the absurdity of modern life.
Impact
The dynamics of the gust hit the viewer immediately, almost like a film scene. The exaggerated postures are comic and elicit a smile. At the same time, the scene carries a quiet social critique of the hubris of weather forecasting.
Technique
Daumier drew with greasy chalk on the stone and then printed the motif as a lithograph. Hard contours and fine shading characterize this lithographic technique. The sheet also contains handwritten notes in pen, suggesting later reworking or commentary.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)