Dire que dans mon temps, moi aussi..., from Croquis Dramatiques, published in Le Charivari, January 24, 1857 (January 24, 1857, Met-Objekt 3049)
Original title: Dire que dans mon temps, moi aussi..., from Croquis Dramatiques, published in Le Charivari, January 24, 1857
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier made this lithograph in 1857, and it appeared on January 24 in the satirical journal Le Charivari. Part of the Croquis Dramatiques series, the print presents two women in an interior: an older one wrapped in a dark hooded garment and a younger one in a dancing pose. The image was executed as a lithograph.
Description
On the left stands an older woman in a long, dark hooded robe, her hands clasped in front of her. To the right, a younger woman appears in a flowing dark dress, arms raised, hair loose, in a dancing pose. A shelf with figurines and objects, along with part of a window or door, can be made out behind them. Light falls from the upper left and casts shadows on the floor. The style is caricatural and humorous, with expressive faces and a lively arrangement.
Context
Daumier regularly contributed to the Croquis Dramatiques (Dramatic Sketches) series for the satirical journal Le Charivari, and this lithograph belongs to it. In a humorous way, it highlights the contrast between generations and the shifting morals in the theater and social life of the nineteenth century. Pointed commentary on the social and artistic questions of his time was Daumier's trademark.
Impact
An amusing tension arises between the reserved posture of the older woman and the exuberant movement of the younger one. The caricatural style, with its expressive faces, invites a smile and makes the artist's ironic intent clear. The scene feels lively thanks to the dynamic layout and the interplay of light and shadow.
Technique
This print is a lithograph, a planographic process in which a design is drawn on a stone with greasy chalk. It is the first state of two (Delteil), meaning it was printed before later revisions. The sheet measures 10 7/8 × 14 3/8 inches, and the image format 8 3/16 × 10 1/2 inches.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)