Un des inconvénients des sous-sols, from Croquis Parisiens, published in Le Charivari, November 26, 1856
Original title: Un des inconvénients des sous-sols, from Croqius Parisiens, published in Le Charivari, November 26, 1856
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph One of the Drawbacks of Basement Flats appeared in Le Charivari on 26 November 1856 as part of the Croquis Parisiens series. It presents a couple in a night-time bedroom, disturbed by mushrooms growing in the room.
Description
A woman sits upright in bed, directing the beam of a torch onto the floor, where several mushrooms have sprouted. Beside her lies a man. A curtain at the back opens onto a dark, forest-like zone. The layout feels asymmetrical: the figures close to the viewer, the wooded darkness behind. Black and white with various greys conjures the nocturnal mood.
Context
Daumier published the Croquis Parisiens in the satirical journal Le Charivari, known for its political and social caricatures. This lithograph takes aim at living conditions in Parisian basements, often damp and poorly ventilated. It dates from a period when Daumier regularly drew the everyday life of Parisians.
Impact
Everyday housing problems meet a surprising, almost surreal idea. The night-time light and the unexpected mushrooms provoke both comedy and unease. The caricatural style highlights the absurdity of the situation.
Technique
For this lithograph Daumier drew with greasy chalks on the stone and then printed. The second state of two is present, as recorded by Delteil. Graded shading and contrasts demonstrate his assured handling of lithography.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)