← Honoré Daumier

Le Chasse au Marais –Quelle Chance!..., from Émotions de Chasse, published in Le Charivari, December 5, 1856

Original title: Le Chasse au Marais –Quelle Chance!..., from Émotions de Chasse, published in Le Charivari, December 5, 1856

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

December 5, 1856

Medium

Lithograph; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Sheet: 9 9/16 × 14 1/4 in. (24.3 × 36.2 cm) Image: 7 7/8 × 10 7/16 in. (20 × 26.5 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1962

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'Die Jagd im Sumpf – Welch ein Glück!...' (The Hunt in the Marsh – What Luck!...) was made in 1856 and belongs to the series 'Émotions de Chasse' (Hunting Emotions). It shows two hunters in a marsh and appeared on December 5, 1856, in the satirical journal Le Charivari. This is the second state of two (Delteil).

Description

Two hunters stand at the heart of the marsh: the one on the left holds a shotgun and has something in his hand, while the one on the right also carries a gun and looks toward his companion. Both wear jackets and caps suited to cold weather. In the foreground ducks move on the water; behind them tall grass and reeds suggest the marais. Several birds fly along the top edge. The black-and-white lithograph has a caricatural, humorous style.

Context

For the satirical journal Le Charivari, Daumier created the series 'Émotions de Chasse', in which he took up social themes. Hunting was a popular leisure activity of the nineteenth-century bourgeoisie, which he parodies here. The lithograph was made at a time when industrial printing techniques helped spread satirical sheets. The exact circumstances of its creation are not documented, but the series is among Daumier's well-known socially critical works.

Impact

At first glance, the even lighting stands out, setting clear contours and giving the image a calm yet dynamic presence. The exaggerated figures and the humorous scene invite a smile, as the hunters appear comically overdone. The viewer is drawn in by the lively arrangement of figures and animals.

Technique

Lithography is a printing process in which a grease crayon is drawn on a limestone. Daumier used this technique to create fine lines and shading in black and white. The work was printed in two states; the present second state represents the final version.

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