Et dire qu'on nous interdit d'entrer..., from Les Boursicotières, published in Le Charivari, October 2, 1856
Original title: Et dire qu'on nous interdit d'entrer..., from Les Boursicotières, published in Le Charivari, October 2, 1856
kurzbeschreibung
On October 2, 1856, Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'Und da sagt man, wir dürfen nicht hinein...' (And they say we're not allowed in...) appeared as part of the series 'Les Boursicotières' in the magazine Le Charivari. Three women stand in the foreground, looking at a crowd pressing toward a stage. The print lampoons the stock market world and the excited public that throngs around a supposed attraction.
Description
Three women in long, voluminous 19th-century dresses and headscarves occupy the foreground, their gaze fixed on something happening behind them. There, a group of people has gathered before a kind of stage or podium, on which a single figure can be made out. The lithograph remains monochrome in shades of gray, with even lighting and no shadows. The figures are expressive and humorously exaggerated; the layout is clearly divided into the women in front and the stage scene behind.
Context
The series 'Les Boursicotières' (roughly: 'The Women of the Stock Exchange') came out in 1856 in the satirical paper Le Charivari, for which Daumier worked regularly. The title alludes to the stock market mania of those years, which also caught up with women. In this way, Daumier caricatured the speculation fever and public excitement over financial dealings in Second Empire Paris. The lithograph was printed as the second state in two editions.
Impact
The comic effect arises from the contrast between the calmly observing women in front and the pushing crowd behind. Exaggerated figures and the absurd situation give the print its satirical bite and invite a smile. The clear layout directs the eye to the stage, thus underscoring the ridiculousness of the proceedings.
Technique
Daumier turned to lithography: drawing with greasy chalk on a stone, which is then printed. The present sheet is the second of two known states (Delteil 2926). The paper measures 25.8 × 27.2 cm, the image format 19.9 × 26.4 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)