Eh! bien... allons-nous continuer notre chasse..., from "Croquis de Chasse"
Original title: Eh! bien... allons-nous continuer notre chasse..., from "Croquis de Chasse"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph "Eh! bien... allons-nous continuer notre chasse..." from 1859 places us inside a hunting hut where two hunters are waiting out a rain shower. This black-and-white print belongs to the series "Croquis de Chasse" and was printed on newsprint.
Description
The eye is drawn first to the man on the left, crouching on the wooden floor with his cap, stroking a weary dog. To the right, a man in a hat and jacket sits on a wooden chair and talks to him. Through the open back wall, rain and trees are visible; another dog lies in the foreground. The black-and-white drawing recalls early illustrations.
Context
On October 14, 1859, this print appeared in the satirical magazine "Le Charivari", for which Daumier regularly drew caricatures of bourgeois life. It is part of the "Croquis de Chasse" series. Hunting scenes were a popular subject in the nineteenth century, and Daumier takes it up here with humor and an eye for everyday life.
Impact
At first glance the scene feels quiet and ordinary, almost detached. Yet the contrast between the exhausted dog and the hunters chatting at their ease produces a quiet irony typical of Daumier's social criticism. The restrained black-and-white reproduction and the simple layout reinforce this impression.
Technique
Daumier used lithography on newsprint, a process characteristic of his work. Fine hatching and deliberate contrasts model light and shadow inside the hut. This is the second state (Delteil), which reveals the artist's typical linework.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)