← Honoré Daumier

À L'Odéon, from Actualités, published in Le Charivari, November 17, 1857

Original title: À L'Odéon, from Actualités, published in Le Charivari, November 17, 1857

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

November 17, 1857

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Sheet: 9 7/8 × 13 9/16 in. (25.1 × 34.5 cm) Image: 8 in. × 9 7/16 in. (20.3 × 23.9 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1962

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier's lithograph from 1857 belongs to the 'Actualités' series and presents three figures in an interior. Published on 17 November 1857 in the satirical journal 'Le Charivari', the print takes aim at the theatre world of the day.

Description

Three figures populate a plain room, likely a theatre foyer: a woman has taken a seat on a chair, while two men in formal dress—one with a top hat and jacket—address her. She wears a dark, long-sleeved blouse and a long skirt. A door and a window provide only sparse articulation of the background. The caricatural style sharpens the characters' facial expressions and body language.

Context

Daumier drew this lithograph for the 'Actualités' series, which appeared regularly in 'Le Charivari'. The series took up current events and social issues of the Second Empire. With its publication on 17 November 1857, the sheet joins Daumier's frequent references to the theatre and cultural scene of his time.

Impact

The caricatural style gives the print a humorous yet critical tone. Because the interior remains bare, the figures and their body language come to the fore; the scene gains liveliness and an ironic touch.

Technique

Lithograph on newsprint, second state of two (Delteil). This process allowed fine lines and graduated shading, as are characteristic of Daumier's drawing style.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)