La peintre qui a eu un tableau refuse, from L'Exposition de 1859
Original title: La peintre qui a eu un tableau refuse, from L'Exposition de 1859, published in Le Charivari, April 27, 1859
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier made this lithograph in April 1859 for his series 'L'Exposition de 1859'. Published in 'Le Charivari' on 27 April 1859, the print brings together a woman painter and a viewer in front of an exhibition wall.
Description
Two figures dominate the foreground: on the left, someone in a dark suit with a cap and a stick; on the right, a person in a pale coat listening closely. Behind them, other figures blur into vagueness, and a panel holding a painting can be made out. The setting is an interior, presumably an exhibition hall. Caricatural means shape the drawing — exaggerated facial features and emphatic gestures.
Context
The lithograph dates from 1859, against the backdrop of the Paris Salon, the annual art exhibition where the jury rejected numerous works. Daumier issued the series 'L'Exposition de 1859' in the satirical journal 'Le Charivari' in order to take aim at the art world and its leading figures. This sheet picks up on the anger of artists whose works had been turned down by the jury.
Impact
The caricatural exaggeration gives the scene an immediate humour that is critical at the same time. A clear layout draws the eye to how the figures play off one another, making the absurdity of the situation palpable. Anyone looking at the print is prompted to think about the arbitrariness of artistic judgements.
Technique
The work was executed as a lithograph in the second state (Delteil) on paper. This process allows fine grey shading that gives the figures volume. In the nineteenth century, lithography was a widespread medium for satirical prints in newspapers.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)