Quinze centimes un bain complet..., from Croquis Parisiens, published in Le Charivari, August 30, 1856
Original title: Quinze centimes un bain complet..., from Croquis Parisiens, published in Le Charivari, August 30, 1856
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph of 1856 shows a crowd of people huddled under umbrellas on a bridge in pouring rain. The print belongs to the series 'Croquis Parisiens' and appeared on 30 August 1856 in the newspaper 'Le Charivari'.
Description
Passers-by in hats and coats press close together on the bridge deck, umbrellas spread against the falling rain. Trees and heavy clouds rise behind them. A sign reads 'COMPLET'; along the lower edge runs a French text naming the price of 15 centimes for a 'complet' and noting that it was not paid.
Context
For the satirical journal 'Le Charivari', Daumier regularly drew scenes of everyday Parisian life that took aim at social ills. The series 'Croquis Parisiens' picked up typical situations of city life, often with an ironic edge. In 1856, as Paris was being transformed, the living conditions of ordinary people were a recurring subject of his caricatures.
Impact
The eye is caught first by the dense knot of waiting figures, their umbrellas stacked into a dark roof; the rain seems to slow every movement. The overcrowded bridge and the mention of the unpaid bath give the print a comic touch that also prompts reflection on social hardship — a blend of amusement and quiet thoughtfulness.
Technique
The image was printed as a lithograph, in which the drawing is applied to a stone with greasy chalk. This is the second state of two (Delteil); the paper measures 25.8 × 36.7 cm, the image area 20 × 26 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)