May I come in my dear, or are you still collaborating with Monsieur?, plate 29 from "The Bluestockings"
Original title: May I come in my dear, or are you still collaborating with Monsieur?, plate 29 from "The Bluestockings"
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many contemporary genre scenes that idealize domestic life into harmony, Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'Darf ich hereinkommen, meine Liebe, oder kollaborieren Sie immer noch mit Monsieur?' hinges on an unsettling moment. The sheet appeared on 30 May 1844 as the 29th installment of the series 'Les Bas Bleus' (The Blue Stockings). It shows two people on a sofa and a third entering the room. The work is executed as a lithograph on newsprint, in the second state of two.
Description
On the right side of the sofa sits a woman in a long dark dress, leaning slightly forward and turned to the left. Beside her, a man in a light shirt and dark jacket has taken his place, also looking left; both appear absorbed in conversation. A painting of two figures in a field hangs on the wall. From the right edge another person enters and seems to address the seated pair. The print remains black and white, the layout clear, the light even and without visible shadows.
Context
The series 'Les Bas Bleus' (The Blue Stockings) fell into a period when the social position of women and the blue-stocking movement were fiercely debated in France. Daumier, known for his satirical caricatures, published the series in the journal 'Le Charivari'. This sheet presents an everyday bourgeois situation that probes contemporary gender roles with humor. The print notice confirms the date of 30 May 1844.
Impact
Precise lines and a calm arrangement combine into an observation that is both cheerful and attentive. The way the figures act and respond to one another creates a light irony that invites a smile without wagging a finger. Fabrics and furniture are rendered in detail, lending the scene intimacy and liveliness.
Technique
The process used was lithography on newsprint: drawing with greasy chalk on the stone, then printing. Daumier employed the method for fine lines and graduated shading that capture the texture of the clothing and the structure of the sofa. Printing was in black and white, as was customary for the mass distribution of caricatures in satirical journals of the time.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)