Parisiens surpris par la marée montante, from Émotions de Voyage, published in Le Charivari, October 8, 1857
Original title: Parisiens surpris par la marée montante, from Émotions de Voyage, published in Le Charivari, October 8, 1857
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph Parisians Surprised by the Rising Tide appeared on October 8, 1857, in the series Émotions de Voyage in the satirical magazine Le Charivari. Three men flee along a coast as the water suddenly swells. The sheet was printed on newsprint; this is the second state (Delteil).
Description
Up front, a gentleman in a top hat, wearing only shirt and trousers, charges through the water with his arms flung up and his face twisted in alarm. Close beside him a second man runs off just as frantically, in a coat and checked trousers. A third, in short trousers and a hat, escapes toward the back of the picture, arms raised as well. Waves mark the climbing water, and the lopsided arrangement drives the hurry of the flight.
Context
For the satirical magazine Le Charivari, Daumier drew the series Émotions de Voyage, which treated travelers' mishaps and hardships with humor. This sheet came out on October 8, 1857, one of his many contributions to a journal known for political and social caricature.
Impact
The scattered figures and their exaggerated gestures produce tension and comedy at once. The overdone panic and the absurdity of the situation make the viewer smile, though the threat of the flood is never played down.
Technique
Lithography on newsprint allows fine strokes and graded shading that carry the pace and drama of the action. The second state (Delteil) refers to a particular printing variant, distinguished from other impressions by changes made on the stone.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)