Les Fourchettes Chinoises, from En Chine, published in Le Charivari, December 27, 1858
Original title: Les Fourchettes Chinoises, from En Chine, published in Le Charivari, December 27, 1858
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'Les Fourchettes Chinoises', published on 27 December 1858, shows two figures eating with chopsticks. The print belongs to the series 'En Chine' and appeared as a humorous caricature in 'Le Charivari'. It was printed as a lithograph on newsprint and is the second state of two (Delteil).
Description
Two people sit at a table helping themselves with chopsticks. The figure on the left wears contemporary dress and has European features; the one on the right looks Asian and is dressed in traditional Chinese clothing. The room stays bare: a plain wall decoration, a vase and a bowl on the table. The lithograph is monochrome, the light falls evenly, without strong shadows.
Context
The lithograph appeared in 1858 in the French satirical magazine 'Le Charivari' as part of the series 'En Chine'. In it Daumier took up the European view of China of the time, shaped by the Second Opium War (1856–1860). The print reflects widespread clichés about Chinese eating habits, which Europeans regarded as exotic and foreign.
Impact
The exaggerated faces and the business of eating with chopsticks come across as comic and invite a smile. Setting a European and a Chinese figure opposite each other highlights the cultural difference, yet the humorous tone keeps it approachable rather than aggressive.
Technique
The sheet was printed as a lithograph on newsprint, as was usual for mass production in satirical magazines of the period. The second state (Delteil) may show changes from the first, though these are not specified. The monochrome execution and clear lines are typical of Daumier's lithographic work.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)