Un omnibus en temps de grippe, from Actualités, published in Le Charivari, April 7, 1858
Original title: Un omnibus en temps de grippe, from Actualités, published in Le Charivari, April 7, 1858
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'Un omnibus en temps de grippe' appeared in 'Le Charivari' on 7 April 1858. It presents a crowded omnibus during a flu epidemic, playing out the situation of sick passengers in the tightest of spaces with humor.
Description
Four seated figures dominate the foreground: two men in hats and two women, one holding a child on her lap. Redness and fatigue mark their faces, and another man, also clearly unwell, stands behind them. The layout stretches broadly horizontal, with the people grouped around the center; everything is drawn in black and white, the light falls evenly and leaves strong shadows absent.
Context
Daumier made this print for the satirical journal 'Le Charivari', where he regularly commented on social and political matters. The occasion was the Paris flu epidemic of 1858; the caricature targets the daily tribulations of public transport. The artist was known as a keen observer of city life and used lithography as his means of critique.
Impact
The viewer's eye is first caught by the distorted expressions of the passengers, and that is precisely where the joke lies, even though the subject is serious. The crowding of bodies heightens the comic effect and makes the viewer's own situation immediately relatable.
Technique
The print was produced as a lithograph on newsprint, a common process for Daumier that allowed quick and inexpensive editions. The drawing remains in black and white, with delicate strokes and hatching that precisely capture the faces and garments of the figures.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)