Nouveau Divertissement des Soirées Parisiennes, from Ces Bons Parisiens
Original title: Nouveau Divertissement des Soirées Parisiennes, from Ces Bons Parisiens, published in Le Charivari, April 16, 1857
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier captured a lively slice of Parisian social life in this 1857 lithograph, part of his series 'Ces Bons Parisiens'. Two figures stand out: a seated lady and a gentleman standing before her, surrounded by other attendees in a festive hall.
Description
In the foreground, a woman sits in a long, well-kept dress; a gentleman in a suit with a striking hairstyle holds something to her nose. Behind them, more figures crowd together, one with an odd coiffure that seems almost illusory. The arrangement is dynamic, drawing the eye to the interplay between the two foreground figures. Worked in black on white, the print gains depth from the graduated shading of lithography. Distorted faces and exaggerated bodies heighten the caricatural effect.
Context
Daumier drew this lithograph for the satirical journal 'Le Charivari', serving a publication that championed social criticism. In the series 'Ces Bons Parisiens', he skewered the city life of the capital and its quirks. Dated 16 April 1857, the work belongs to the Second Empire era, when Daumier regularly published political and social satires.
Impact
Exaggerated figures and an absurd situation provoke immediate amusement. Viewers are invited to smile at the manners of Parisian society. The precise execution lends the whole a lively, almost theatrical atmosphere.
Technique
Drawn with greasy chalk on the stone, this print reveals what lithography can do: soft tonal gradations and sharply defined details of caricature. This is the second state of two (Delteil), meaning the plate was subsequently reworked. The printing process allows fine hatching and precise reproduction of details.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)