Mon ami..., lâche lui ta canne.... from Aux Bains de Mer, published in Le Charivari, September 28, 1859
Original title: Mon ami..., lâche lui ta canne.... from Aux Bains de Mer, published in Le Charivari, September 28, 1859
kurzbeschreibung
This lithograph by Honoré Daumier appeared in Le Charivari in September 1859 and belongs to his series Aux Bains de Mer. The print presents an amusing seaside episode: a woman and a man are shown in a lively confrontation characteristic of Daumier's caricatures.
Description
Two figures stand on the beach. A woman in a long dress grasps the arm of a man holding a pipe, who clearly wants to break free. The man wears a cap and jacket. Sea and coast form the backdrop. The scene is executed in black and white, in the caricatural, humorous style emphasized by postures and caption.
Context
Part of the Aux Bains de Mer series, this print appeared in the satirical journal Le Charivari. With the series, Daumier in the 1850s took aim at the doings and fashions of Parisian society at the seaside. The date 28 September 1859 places the work in Daumier's later career, when he was long known for political and social caricatures.
Impact
Exaggerated gestures and the comic situation make the scene immediately cheerful. Daumier captures an everyday moment at the beach with fine irony and invites a smile. The restriction to black and white heightens the caricatural appeal and directs attention to the two figures and their interaction.
Technique
The print was produced as a lithograph on newsprint—a process common in the nineteenth century for satirical publications. The present impression is the second state of two (Delteil), suggesting the plate was reworked. Lithography allowed fine lines and rapid print runs, as required by the publishing context of Le Charivari.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)