Monsieur a-t-il un état..., from "Croquis Parisiens"
Original title: Monsieur a-t-il un état..., from "Croquis Parisiens"
kurzbeschreibung
A man with a shovel and a concierge in a top hat meet in this lithograph by Honoré Daumier from 1857, part of the 'Croquis Parisiens' series. The encounter is humorous and pointed.
Description
On the left stands a man in simple clothes, a shovel in his hand; to the right, behind a counter, a concierge in a suit and top hat is posted. An entrance bears the word 'Concierge'. Shoes and a bottle lie scattered on the floor, marking the setting as down-at-heel. The lithograph stays monochrome, with even lighting and no strong shadows or highlights. The faces of the two figures are exaggerated and caricatural.
Context
This print appeared on 15 February 1857 within the series 'Croquis Parisiens', with which Daumier satirically chronicled everyday life in Paris. The artist was known for socially critical works that often took as their theme the meeting of different social classes. The series fell in a period when the city was being rebuilt under Haussmann and social mixing was increasing.
Impact
The exaggerated figures and the absurd situation immediately provoke amusement. The contrast between the plain worker and the self-satisfied concierge, who flaunts his position, carries the comic effect.
Technique
The print exists as a lithograph in the second of two states according to Delteil. The printing technique allowed for fine tonal gradations, which come into their own in the monochrome rendering with even lighting. The sheet measures 26.7 × 36.6 cm and the image 21 × 24.6 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)