Inconvénient des jupons à ressort en acier, quand ce ressort vient à se casser, from "Croquis Parisiens"
Original title: Inconvénient des jupons à ressort en acier, quand ce ressort vient à se casser, from "Croquis Parisiens"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's 1857 lithograph shows a woman in a voluminous skirt being steered along by a man in a top hat. The sheet belongs to the "Croquis Parisiens" series and pokes gentle fun at crinoline fashion. Two print states exist; it was printed on newsprint.
Description
A woman in a long, billowing skirt stands at the center, one hand pointing to something on the ground that resembles an upturned hat. An elegantly dressed man in a top hat grips her skirt and guides her with a long stick. Her thrown-back glance and the exchange of gestures set the picture in motion. Trees, a street, and houses are only suggested. Everything stays monochrome, the light is even, and the gestures are exaggerated in caricature.
Context
With the "Croquis Parisiens" Daumier offered a satirical observation of everyday Parisian life. The lithograph appeared in a newspaper on August 18, 1857, which explains its direct tie to the crinoline fashion of the moment. Steel-hooped skirts were widespread in the 1850s and gave reason to mock their impractical consequences. Two print states of the sheet are known; this is the second.
Impact
The exaggerated account of the woman's predicament is immediately funny. The man's stiff elegance contrasts with her helpless gesture and sharpens the satirical tone. The spare linework draws the eye to how the two figures play off each other.
Technique
The sheet was printed as a lithograph on newsprint, a process typical of Daumier's topical satires. The drawing was transferred to stone and printed in two states, the second of which was reworked. Clear contours and fine hatching attest to the precision of the lithographic technique.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)