Deux chasseurs altérés, from Croquis de Chasse, published in Le Charivari, September 20, 1859
Original title: Deux chasseurs altérés, from Croquis de Chasse, published in Le Charivari, September 20, 1859
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike the other sheets in Daumier's hunting series, this lithograph turns entirely on the behaviour of the animals and leaves the hunter himself out of the picture. 'Deux chasseurs altérés' was made in September 1859, printed on newsprint, and survives in the second of two states. It belongs to the 'Croquis de Chasse', which appeared in the satirical paper Le Charivari.
Description
A dog with its tail raised steps up to the watering hole, while a second kneels to the right and lowers its head toward the same spot. A discarded hunting hat lies on the ground between them. The layout stays flat and the horizon low; in the foreground, wavy lines and reflections suggest the surface of the water. The lithograph's greys rely on clear contours and graded shading.
Context
The sheet came out in Le Charivari on 20 September 1859, as part of the 'Croquis de Chasse' series. Daumier liked to pick up the oddities of bourgeois daily life, and here it is the passion for hunting, which was thriving at the time as a middle-class leisure pursuit. Printing the graphic on newsprint matched the usual practice of press illustration in those years.
Impact
The calm arrangement and close observation of the dogs give the sheet an almost matter-of-fact air. The joking title 'Two Thirsty Hunters' stands in tension with that and tilts the work toward irony, though the image itself never spells out a joke.
Technique
Lithography allowed fine lines and soft shading. It was printed on newsprint, as the mass circulation of magazines required. At the lower left is the signature 'H.D.', which identifies Daumier as the author.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)