← Honoré Daumier

C'est Unique! J'ai Pris Quatre Tailles..., from Émotions Parisiennes

Original title: C'est Unique! J'ai Pris Quatre Tailles..., from Émotions Parisiennes, published in Le Charivari, February 7, 1840

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

February 7, 1840

Medium

Colored lithograph; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Sheet: 14 3/16 × 10 13/16 in. (36 × 27.5 cm) Image: 9 9/16 × 7 3/8 in. (24.3 × 18.7 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1962

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, 'C'est Unique! J'ai Pris Quatre Tailles...', for his series 'Émotions Parisiennes'. It appeared in the journal 'Le Charivari' on February 7, 1840, printed in color. The image shows a gentleman in a corset shop.

Description

A man in a dark suit and black top hat stands in a shop, eyeing the goods on display, which are likely corsets. He holds a pipe in his hand. The colors stay muted, the background plain. Beneath the image runs a joking caption that plays on the different sizes of corsets.

Context

This lithograph was made for the satirical paper 'Le Charivari' as part of the series 'Émotions Parisiennes'. It came out on February 7, 1840, and exists in the second of two states. With humor, the work pokes fun at Parisian fashion and shopping habits of the day.

Impact

The calm layout and restrained colors give the print an initially unassuming look, which sharpens the satirical undertone. The caption adds an ironic twist that invites a smile.

Technique

The print is a colored lithograph, in the second of two states. The paper measures 14 3/16 × 10 13/16 inches (36 × 27.5 cm), the image 9 9/16 × 7 3/8 inches (24.3 × 18.7 cm).

AI-generated description text

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