Monsieur le Baron..., j'ai l'honneur..., from Croquis Été, published in Le Charivari, July 2, 1858
Original title: Monsieur le Baron..., j'ai l'honneur..., from Croquis Été, published in Le Charivari, July 2, 1858
kurzbeschreibung
This lithograph by Honoré Daumier appeared in Le Charivari on 2 July 1858 as part of the series 'Croquis Été'. It shows three men in bathing suits talking in the open air. The black-and-white print measures 25.2 × 34.3 cm.
Description
Three bathers stand in the foreground, conversing; the middle one extends an arm as if explaining something. Behind them, other figures linger outdoors. The bodies are drawn with visible muscles and distinct faces. The three figures in front and the group behind are evenly spread across the sheet, and the light falls uniformly over the whole view.
Context
Daumier drew this sheet for the satirical magazine Le Charivari, to which he regularly contributed caricatures. The series 'Croquis Été', or summer sketches, poked fun at the leisure habits of the Parisian bourgeoisie in summer. The work was made during the Second Empire under Napoleon III, a period of social change and growing leisure life. It was printed in three states; the present copy belongs to the second.
Impact
The scene meets the viewer in a relaxed, everyday way, like a casually caught moment of bourgeois life. Daumier's precise linework gives the figures a lively presence and draws the eye into the picture. Because only black and white are available, the contours and body language of the men stand out clearly.
Technique
The lithograph was printed on newsprint, as was usual for caricatures in satirical journals. Using the lithographic technique, Daumier worked out fine lines and shading that reproduce figures and background in precise detail. This sheet corresponds to the second of three print states.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)