← Honoré Daumier

A literary argument on the second tier, from 'Theater sketches,' published in Le Charivari, February 27, 1864

Original title: A literary argument on the second tier, from 'Theater sketches,' published in Le Charivari, February 27, 1864

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

February 27, 1864

Medium

Lithograph; second state of two (Deltiel)

Dimensions

Image: 9 7/16 × 8 11/16 in. (23.9 × 22.1 cm) Sheet: 11 11/16 × 10 7/16 in. (29.7 × 26.5 cm)

Credit line

Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1953

kurzbeschreibung

A man clutching a document stands at the heart of a heated argument. This 1864 lithograph by Honoré Daumier belongs to the 'Theaterskizzen' (Theatre Sketches) published in the satirical journal Le Charivari. The print survives in the second of two states (Deltiel).

Description

Up front, one figure grips a document or object and seems to be holding the floor, while those around him answer with violent gestures and tense faces. A gallery or box sets the stage for the quarrel, betrayed by the low ceiling and the rows of seats behind. Bodies are thrown into restless, many-voiced groupings; the directions pull apart and sharpen the sense of a furious dispute. Greys and blacks dominate, and the light stays muted, deepening the sombre mood.

Context

Daumier drew this sheet for Le Charivari, where he regularly contributed social caricature. The 'Theaterskizzen' series turned its eye on the audience in the theatre, a subject taken up often in nineteenth-century French art. By 1864 Daumier was already known for his close observation of Parisian daily life.

Impact

The agitated arrangement and the expressive gestures of those involved generate a tension that passes straight to the viewer. Dim lighting and a narrow range of greys reinforce the serious, quarrelsome tone. We are dropped into the middle of the heated debate, and with it into Daumier's critical view of the theatre culture of his day.

Technique

Lithography, a printing process that relies on the repulsion of grease and water. Daumier worked with sharp contours and detailed linework to capture figures and their emotions precisely. That the second state of the print is at hand points to revisions made after the first, a routine step in nineteenth-century printmaking.

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