Mon cheri ami, tu vois..., j'étais né pour être marquis..., from Les Comédiens de Société, published in Le Charivari, April 9, 1858
Original title: Mon cheri ami, tu vois..., j'étais né pour être marquis..., from Les Comédiens de Société, published in Le Charivari, April 9, 1858
kurzbeschreibung
Two men lock horns in a comic dispute, captured in an 1858 lithograph by Honoré Daumier. The print belongs to the series Les Comédiens de Société and appeared on April 9, 1858, in Le Charivari. It was issued as a lithograph on newsprint, second state (Delteil).
Description
A man in a dark suit, tie and top hat stands upright and unruffled. Facing him, another figure—dressed in a motley costume with a cap, rolled-up shirtsleeves and checked trousers—seizes him by the collar. The shock or surprise registers on the face of the brightly dressed man. Both stand before a slightly open door with a curtain. Below the scene run the caption and printer's details; the signature “H.D.” appears at lower left.
Context
For the satirical newspaper Le Charivari, Daumier created the series Les Comédiens de Société, to which this print belongs. Published on April 9, 1858, it presents a light everyday scene that pokes fun at bourgeois social roles and vanities. Daumier's socially critical caricatures were widely circulated in Parisian periodicals of the time.
Impact
The contrast between the calm, elegantly dressed man and his agitated, colorful counterpart generates comic tension. Exaggerated facial expressions and gestures reinforce the satirical tone characteristic of Daumier's work. The print feels lively and narrative without tipping into the grotesque.
Technique
Lithography on newsprint—a process typical of Daumier that allowed quick, mass distribution. The second state (Delteil) denotes a later printing with differences from the first. Fine and bold lines capture the figures and their expressions with precision.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)