Le Restaurant de L'Exposition, from Le Salon de 1857
Original title: Le Restaurant de L'Exposition, from Le Salon de 1857, published in "Le Charivari"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier made this lithograph in 1857 for a series in the satirical magazine Le Charivari, published to coincide with the Paris Salon. The print presents a cheerful restaurant scene where the exhibition's visitors gather. It is a black-and-white print, and the impression is the third and final state of the plate according to Delteil.
Description
At the front, a man in formal dress has taken a seat on a chair, while a second figure wearing something like a uniform or service livery stands talking with him. Behind them, several people are scattered in various postures and garments, giving the sense of a busy dining room. Tables and chairs fill the space, and pictures or other wall decorations hang on the wall. The arrangement brings the two foreground figures into view, while the depth of the room comes from the layered guests. The light is even, with no clear source or cast shadow to be made out.
Context
The occasion for this lithograph was the Paris Salon of 1857, one of the most important art exhibitions of the period. Daumier published it in Le Charivari, a magazine known for its political and social caricatures. The subject takes up the exhibition's incidental side, including the restaurant as a place for socializing. The series to which this print belongs turned a satirical eye on the art world and its public in those years.
Impact
The clear layout and the pointed drawing of the figures give the caricature a cheerful, inviting quality. The contrast between the formally dressed seated man and the standing man in uniform produces an encounter that is both tense and amusing. The restriction to black and white directs attention to gestures and postures, in which the satirical intent becomes plain.
Technique
The sheet was made as a lithograph, drawn with greasy chalk on a stone and then printed. The present impression is the third of three states (Delteil), which suggests the plate was reworked. The sheet measures 24.3 × 30.3 cm and the printed image 20 × 25.1 cm, as was usual for Daumier's caricatures in magazine format.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)