Maudit propriétaire..., tu seras donc cause de tous mes maux..., from L'Exposition de 1859
Original title: Maudit propriétaire..., tu seras donc cause de tous mes maux..., from L'Exposition de 1859, published in Le Charivari, April 26, 1859
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike the other sheets in Daumier's 1859 Salon series, this lithograph does not focus on the rejected works themselves but on the painter who fails because of them. The artist lies half-sprawled over his overturned portrait, while the Paris Salon jury has already dismissed the painting. The print appeared in the journal 'Le Charivari'.
Description
A shaggy-haired man with a bewildered look kneels over a large canvas that has fallen face-up, revealing the portrait of someone else. He wears a loose shirt and trousers; his left arm dangles, his right is slightly raised. Behind him, paintings and sculptures remain sketchy, so that studio and exhibition hall are hard to tell apart.
Context
On 26 April 1859, 'Le Charivari' published the sheet as part of the series 'L'Exposition de 1859'. The occasion was the Paris Salon, where many works failed before the jury. The accompanying text tells of a painter commissioned by his landlord to paint a portrait, whose work was rejected by the jury as 'atroce' — whereupon the artist blamed the sitter's appearance.
Impact
Behind the joke lies a jab at the jury and at the situation of artists who depend on commissions. The painter's exaggerated despair and the twisted reasoning for the rejection together make a satire that provokes laughter and, a moment later, reflection.
Technique
The sheet was printed as a lithograph, with a bold chalk transferring the drawing to the stone. The present impression is the second state according to Delteil. The sheet measures 26.8 × 36.1 cm, the image 21.7 × 27.1 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)