← Honoré Daumier

Monsieur le concierge, allant en soirée avec mon épouse..., from Les Portiers de Paris, published in Le Charivari, November 30, 1858

Original title: Monsieur le concierge, allant en soirée avec mon épouse..., from Les Portiers de Paris, published in Le Charivari, November 30, 1858

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

November 30, 1858

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Sheet: 9 7/8 × 13 3/8 in. (25.1 × 34 cm) Image: 8 9/16 × 10 15/16 in. (21.7 × 27.8 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1962

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph in 1858 for his series Les Portiers de Paris. The print presents a couple asking their concierge for permission to return home after midnight, and his stern reply. It was printed on newsprint and is the second state of two (Delteil).

Description

Three figures stand before a door marked PORTIER: on the left a woman in a long dress with an apron and a basket on her back, in the middle a man in a flat cap with a stick, and on the right the concierge in uniform and cap. The caricature relies on exaggerated expressions and eccentric clothing. The layout is clear and draws the eye to the encounter of the three; everything stays in monochrome grey tones. Below the image, the dialogue appears as text, capturing the request and the concierge's answer.

Context

This lithograph was made for the satirical journal Le Charivari and appeared there on 30 November 1858. The series Les Portiers de Paris took aim at the role of concierges in everyday Parisian life in the 19th century. The caricature reflects social tensions and the pervasive bureaucratic authority of the time.

Impact

An ironic undertone runs through the print and highlights the absurdity of the situation. The distorted faces and unusual clothing create a comic effect that invites a smile. The clear arrangement and the appended dialogue strengthen the image's narrative power.

Technique

Daumier used lithography on newsprint, a process that allowed quick and cheap printing and was typical of him. In the second state (Delteil), precise hatching and fine lines stand out, accentuating facial expressions and clothing details. The restriction to grey tones matches the lithographs of this period.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)