Scène de famille
Original title: Scène de famille., from Croquis d'Été, published in Le Charivari, July 19, 1858
kurzbeschreibung
Where many bathing pictures of the period go straight for the slapstick, Honoré Daumier's 1858 lithograph Familienszene pairs close observation of everyday life with a quieter irony. The sheet belongs to the Croquis d'Été series and appeared in the journal Le Charivari on July 19, 1858.
Description
The layout stretches wide: a woman floats on her back while a second figure touches her face, and other bathers drift around them in the water. Lithographic ink gives monochrome shading, firm contours and fine hatching, while the caricatural drawing sharpens the humor of the exchange between the figures.
Context
Daumier drew this lithograph for Le Charivari, the satirical paper where he regularly commented on social scenes. The Croquis d'Été series was given over to the summer pleasures and leisure activities of Parisians. The work dates from the reign of Napoleon III, when the press was censored but caricature still circulated as a critical tool.
Impact
Exaggeration and the everyday quality of the scene make the print immediately approachable. It gives off a cheerful, relaxed mood and invites a smile. Clean draughtsmanship and a balanced arrangement lend it a calm yet lively presence.
Technique
For a lithograph the motif is drawn on stone and then printed on paper. This is the second of two states, meaning the stone was altered after the first printing. The method allows the delicate lines and shading that carry the caricatural effect.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)