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Beer? Never! Only absinthe can put a fellow back on his feet, from 'The Chinese of Paris,' published in Le Charivari, December 18, 1863

Original title: Beer? Never! Only absinthe can put a fellow back on his feet, from 'The Chinese of Paris,' published in Le Charivari, December 18, 1863

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

December 18, 1863

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 7 11/16 × 10 1/4 in. (19.6 × 26 cm) Sheet: 11 1/2 × 11 1/4 in. (29.2 × 28.6 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1962

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'Bier? Niemals! Nur Absinth kann einen Kerl wieder auf die Beine bringen' appeared on 18 December 1863 in the satirical journal Le Charivari, as part of the series 'Die Chinesen von Paris'. It depicts a group of men in a smoky café gathered around a table. The print on newsprint is the second of two states and measures 19.6 × 26 cm (image).

Description

In a room identifiable as a café or bar, several figures have clustered around a table. Some smoke pipes, others converse animatedly. Smoke drifts through the interior, thickening the atmosphere. Further figures and furniture are suggested in the background, reinforcing the impression of a well-frequented establishment. Rendered in black and white, the drawing displays a caricatural, humorous style that the caption below the image further emphasizes.

Context

The series 'Die Chinesen von Paris' was published in Le Charivari in 1863/64, for which Daumier worked regularly. The lithograph takes aim at Parisian social life during the Second Empire under Napoleon III. Daumier uses the figure of the 'Chinaman' as an ironic metaphor for what he saw as the absurd manners of Parisians. The caricature alludes to the widespread consumption of absinthe in artistic and bohemian circles at the time.

Impact

The lively, almost sketch-like execution gives the print an immediate and humorous effect. Exaggerated faces and postures create a comic yet critical distance from the everyday life depicted. The smoky, dense atmosphere heightens the impression of a typical Parisian café milieu.

Technique

Lithography on newsprint, a process typical of Daumier's satirical prints, allows for fine lines and quick, expressive hatching that support the caricatural effect. The second state of the print may show changes from the first, as was common in Daumier's working method.

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