Aux Bains Deligny, from Croquis Été
Original title: Aux Bains Deligny, from Croquis Été, published in Le Charivari, July 9, 1858
kurzbeschreibung
On 9 July 1858, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier appeared in Le Charivari, capturing a scene at the Parisian bathhouse Aux Bains Deligny. Two states of the print exist; the one recorded here is the second.
Description
A pool fills the foreground, with several bathers standing in the water. At the center, a man wearing only trousers looks upward, while the other figures go about various activities in the water. On a platform or balcony behind them, more people are gathered. Black and white with delicate gray gradations defines the sheet, and the light falls evenly without harsh shadows.
Context
For the Croquis Été series that Daumier drew for the satirical magazine Le Charivari, he observed the summer activities of Parisians with humor. The Bains Deligny on the Seine were known as a popular public bathing spot and social meeting place. The print dates from a period when Daumier was constantly supplying caricatures for daily newspapers.
Impact
The liveliness of the subject comes from the dense arrangement of many figures, offering an amusing glimpse of public bathing life. Because the light is evenly distributed and the gray tones are finely graded, the image feels calm and observed.
Technique
The print was produced as a lithograph on newsprint, the usual medium for Daumier's satirical work. This process allowed fine line work and rapid reproduction for publication in the press.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)