Tiens...vous m'aviez dit..., from Croquis Parisiens, published in Le Charivari, January 21, 1857
Original title: Tiens...vous m'aviez dit..., from Croquis Parisiens, published in Le Charivari, January 21, 1857
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier contributed this lithograph in 1857 to the series 'Croquis Parisiens'; it appeared on 21 January of that year in Le Charivari. The print, titled 'Tiens...vous m'aviez dit...', presents a comic everyday episode before a door marked 'CONCIERGE'. It is the second state of two (Delteil).
Description
On the left, two uniformed policemen talk to each other, while on the right a gentleman in a suit and top hat addresses the concierge. She stands in the doorway, looking surprised or at a loss. Kept in black and white and monochrome, the lithograph uses detailed line drawing that brings out the texture of clothing and facial features. The caricatural touch underscores the comedy of the encounter.
Context
Daumier drew this lithograph for the series 'Croquis Parisiens', which began appearing in Le Charivari in the 1850s; the series targeted typical scenes of Parisian daily life and social types. Published on 21 January 1857, the print falls in the period of the Second Empire, when Daumier worked regularly for satirical journals. The concierge was a common motif in the urban criticism of the time.
Impact
The print is immediately accessible through its precise observation and ironic undertone. The expressions and postures of the figures create a cheerful, humorous mood that invites a smile. Daumier's line gives the scene lively dynamism and captures everyday life in nineteenth-century Paris.
Technique
Lithography was used, a planographic printing process that allows fine gradations and nuanced shading. The print survives in the second state of two, which suggests reworking of the stone. The process enabled quick and inexpensive reproduction for newspaper production.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)