← Honoré Daumier

Palmistry, New Parisian Pastime, from 'News of the Day,' published in Le Charivari, February 1, 1860

Original title: Palmistry, New Parisian Pastime, from 'News of the Day,' published in Le Charivari, February 1, 1860

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

February 1, 1860

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; second state of three (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 8 7/16 × 10 7/16 in. (21.5 × 26.5 cm) Sheet: 11 9/16 × 11 9/16 in. (29.3 × 29.4 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1962

kurzbeschreibung

Daumier made this lithograph in 1860, poking fun at palm reading as the latest Parisian fad. It belongs to the series 'News of the Day' and appeared in the satirical journal Le Charivari. Two figures occupy an interior: the one on the left speaks with expansive gestures, while the one on the right replies with a startled expression.

Description

Two seated figures fill the space. The one on the left, likely a woman, has both hands raised and talks with lively movements. Opposite her sits a man, arms lifted, his face showing surprise shading into unease. Curtains and a window, through which daylight enters, close off the back. On the table between them a candle burns, casting a mild light over the interior. Along the bottom edge run lines of text and a caption that point to a newspaper item.

Context

On 1 February 1860 the French satirical journal Le Charivari published the print. With it Daumier took up the enthusiasm for palmistry that had recently arisen in Paris and gained many followers in the 1860s. The series 'News of the Day' followed such social fashions and current events with a mocking eye. The work survives as the second of three states (Delteil), printed on newsprint.

Impact

Clear contours and richly worked details give the print an immediacy and liveliness. The startled expression of the figure on the right creates a comic tension typical of Daumier's caricatures. The candlelight softens the brightness and makes the encounter feel intimate, almost as if on a stage.

Technique

The print was made as a lithograph on newsprint, a common process for caricatures in satirical journals. This technique allowed fine lines and gradations of shadow, as is evident in the figures and the interior. The sheet measures 29.3 × 29.4 cm, the image area 21.5 × 26.5 cm.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)