On m'a conseillé les bains froids pour me faire maigrir!..., from Croquis d'Été
Original title: On m'a conseillé les bains froids pour me faire maigrir!..., from Croquis d'Été, published in Le Charivari, August 2, 1858
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier drew this comic bathing scene on stone in 1858. The lithograph belongs to his series Croquis d'Été and appeared in Le Charivari on 2 August 1858. It was printed in black and white and is the second state of three according to Delteil.
Description
Two men stand in the water, talking: one stout, the other slimmer. Around them other bathers splash about—some swim, others cling to the edge of the pool. A few figures hang over the water as if caught mid-leap. Greys carry the image, and the light falls evenly across the surface, as is usual in lithographs.
Context
Le Charivari, the satirical Paris newspaper, published the Croquis d'Été series, which took aim at summer pleasures. In his lithographs Daumier repeatedly caricatured bourgeois habits and social types. This print was made during the Second Empire, when public baths and health fashions were booming.
Impact
The contrast between the two bodies in the water provides the comic spark and invites a smile. The exaggerated figure of the bather creates a light, entertaining mood. The clear layout directs the eye straight to the punchline.
Technique
The artist worked with greasy chalk on the stone, a planographic process. The print was pulled in black on paper, and the image measures 20.6 × 25.8 cm. The second of the three states shows the final composition, without later changes.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)