Cristi! ..... qué malheur...., from En Chine, published in Le Charivari, January 12, 1859
Original title: Cristi! ..... qué malheur...., from En Chine, published in Le Charivari, January 12, 1859
kurzbeschreibung
This lithograph by Honoré Daumier from 1859 presents a satirical encounter between two figures in an Asian setting. It belongs to the series 'En Chine' and was published in 'Le Charivari' on January 12, 1859. As a caricature, it stages a dialogue between a man and a woman.
Description
Two figures dominate the layout: a man with exaggerated facial features, an ornate headdress, and a richly patterned jacket, beside a woman wearing a large Asian hat and carrying a parasol, her dress full of folds. Other people and Asian architecture are hinted at in the background. The asymmetrical arrangement draws the eye to the pair. A French text along the bottom edge relays the dialogue or an explanation of the scene. The image remains in black and white.
Context
Daumier responded to French military expeditions in China during the 1850s with the series 'En Chine'. The lithograph appeared on January 12, 1859, in the satirical newspaper Le Charivari, for which the artist worked regularly. The caricature caters to the contemporary craze for China and France's colonial ambitions by portraying the figures stereotypically. The series holds a firm place within Daumier's critical engagement with the politics and society of his time.
Impact
The exaggerated facial features and the contrast between the two figures strike the viewer as immediately comic. A detached, ironic attitude toward the cultural encounter emerges. Black and white and clear lines sharpen the satirical message.
Technique
For this print, Daumier used lithography: the motif is drawn on a stone and then printed on newsprint. The present example is the second state of two (Delteil), showing the typical characteristics of lithographic printing with fine lines and shading. The sheet measures 30.3 × 29.1 cm, the image itself 23 × 26.8 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)