← Honoré Daumier

Ce qui explique la voue des cache-nez, from "Croquis Parisiens"

Original title: Ce qui explique la voue des cache-nez, from "Croquis Parisiens"

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

January 11, 1856

Medium

Lithograph; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Sheet: 14 7/16 × 9 5/8 in. (36.7 × 24.5 cm) Image: 8 11/16 × 7 15/16 in. (22.1 × 20.2 cm)

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1936

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph on January 11, 1856, as part of his series 'Croquis Parisiens'. Two men in an urban setting stand facing each other, drawn in a humorously exaggerated manner. The title 'Ce qui explique la vogue des cache-nez' alludes to the fondness for scarves, which is lampooned here.

Description

Two figures face each other, apparently deep in conversation. The man on the left wears a long coat, a flat cap and a scarf; the one on the right is dressed in a jacket, trousers and likewise a flat cap. Their serious expressions contrast with the caricatural drawing. Blurred buildings and trees suggest a city backdrop. The layout is symmetrical, the figures occupy the center, and the palette is limited to grays and whites.

Context

The lithograph was made in mid-19th-century Paris, when Daumier was known for his socially critical and humorous caricatures. The series 'Croquis Parisiens' appeared in satirical journals and commented on everyday scenes of Parisian life. Daumier used lithography to pick up current fashion trends and the behavior of the city's population. The date of January 1856 falls in a period when Daumier was working regularly for magazines such as 'Le Charivari'.

Impact

The exaggerated facial features and stiff posture of the figures make the print comic and ironic. The men's serious expressions, combined with the banal everyday scene, create a satirical tension. The reduced gray palette directs attention to the protagonists' facial expressions and gestures.

Technique

Lithography is a printing process in which a drawing is made with greasy chalk on stone and then printed. The present work is the second state of two (Delteil), indicating that the plate was reworked. The technique allows fine shading, used here for the grays and the soft contours of the background.

AI-generated description text

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