This one may look as unhappy as a rock, before I would give him a job
Original title: This one may look as unhappy as a rock, before I would give him a job, published in "Le Boulevard"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier made this lithograph on 8 June 1862: inside a tavern, a man in a tall cap and a woman in a white dress talk together. The sheet belongs to the series produced for the journal 'Le Boulevard' and survives as the second of three states (Delteil).
Description
On the left a man drinks from his glass, the tall black cap still on his head, his gaze turned inward rather than toward his companion. Facing him stands a woman in a long white dress and headscarf, a bottle in her hand, speaking to him. At the counter another figure handles a bottle as well, while a glass and bottle rest there. The layout places the man mid-picture and steps the other figures out to either side, so that everything converges on the exchange between the two.
Context
The print was made in 1862 for the Paris journal 'Le Boulevard', known for satirical and socially critical contributions. Daumier ranks among the foremost caricaturists of the nineteenth century, and his work returns again and again to social hardship and to how people treat one another. Three states of this print are recorded, of which this is the second; it shows the artist at work for the press.
Impact
A restrained range of greys and a clear distribution of the figures give the sheet a directness. The pensive man and the woman's worried expression set a quiet, inward mood that holds the viewer's attention.
Technique
Printing was done by lithography, a planographic process: the drawing is made with greasy chalk on the stone, and an impression is pulled from it. Precise lines and graduated greys attest to Daumier's assurance with a technique he used for many of his satirical sheets.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)