Villégiature, from "Ces Bons Parisiens"
Original title: Villégiature, from "Ces Bons Parisiens"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's 1858 lithograph 'Villégiature' presents a couple whiling away time indoors during a country stay. The print belongs to the series 'Ces Bons Parisiens' and was issued in black and white on newsprint. The accompanying caption comments on the boredom of the countryside with an ironic edge.
Description
A man sits on a chair with his legs crossed, wearing a shirt, checked trousers and a hat. Opposite him, a woman in a long skirt and a hat with a feather plume has taken a seat. A table with a vase of flowers separates the two. Shadowy landscape elements are hinted at in the background. The caption reads: 'Ça n'est déjà pas si amusant qu'on le croit la campagne!... Et dire que nous ne sommes encore qu'au commencement du printemps!...'
Context
Daumier made this lithograph for 'Ces Bons Parisiens', a series satirizing the life of the Parisian bourgeoisie. The series appeared in the journal 'Le Charivari' in the mid-nineteenth century. The print is dated 5 May 1858 and was produced in three states; this is the third state.
Impact
The caricature's humor comes from exaggerated proportions and the ironic caption. A comic discrepancy between expectation and reality arises when the bored couple is shown amid supposed idyll. The reduced black-and-white technique draws attention to the figures' expressions and gestures.
Technique
A lithograph on newsprint, a process typical of Daumier. The fine lines and shading that lithography allowed were used for the caricatural rendering. The print was made in three states; this impression is the third state.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)