Allons bon!..... j'avais oublié de décharger mon fusil!...., from Émotions de Chasse, published in Le Charivari, February 21, 1858
Original title: Allons bon!..... j'avais oublié de décharger mon fusil!...., from Émotions de Chasse, published in Le Charivari, February 21, 1858
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph from 1858 belongs to the series 'Émotions de Chasse' (Hunting Emotions), published in the satirical journal Le Charivari. It shows four people in a room reacting to an accidentally fired shot from a still-smoking gun.
Description
Four figures in a room are suddenly startled: two crouch on the floor, one lies stretched out holding the smoking weapon, and a fourth stands upright beside them. The clothing points to the period. Monochrome tones and subdued light heighten the tense mood. Realistic details mix with caricatural exaggeration.
Context
On 21 February 1858, the print appeared in Le Charivari, the Parisian satirical journal for which Daumier regularly drew political and social caricatures. The 'Émotions de Chasse' series pokes fun at hunters' mishaps, a popular theme in the bourgeois milieu of the Second Empire. Daumier used lithography to satirically exaggerate everyday situations.
Impact
The exaggerated reactions of the figures make the scene both comic and dramatic. The smoking gun and the person on the floor create tension between absurdity and danger that invites a smile. The muted monochrome underscores the serious comedy of the moment.
Technique
Executed as a lithograph on newsprint, the work is in the second of two states (Delteil). The lithographic process allows fine lines and shading, which Daumier used for detailed rendering of figures and space. Printing on newsprint matched publication in Le Charivari and emphasizes the ephemeral nature of satire.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)