What's your opinion of this brandy?
Original title: What's your opinion of this brandy?, from 'Types and features,' published in Le Charivari, May 2, 1864
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph "Was halten Sie von diesem Kognak?" appeared in Le Charivari on May 2, 1864, as part of his series "Types et Physionomies." Two men sit in a café, tasting a drink and falling into conversation, while the humorous caption plays on the quality of what they are drinking.
Description
Two men have settled at a café table. The one on the left, wearing a top hat, holds a glass and turns toward his companion; the other, in a collared jacket, raises his glass to drink. Two cups with saucers stand on the table, and beyond them further tables and chairs can be made out, suggesting a busy room. Fine lines and strong contrasts between the shaded areas give the print its texture.
Context
For the satirical journal Le Charivari, Daumier created the series "Types et Physionomies," caricaturing the everyday life of the Parisian bourgeoisie. This sheet appeared at a time when he regularly commented on social scenes and manners with a humorous undertone. Café life and a conversation about a drink reflect the bourgeois sociability of the nineteenth century.
Impact
The everyday situation and the pointed caption give the sheet a humorous, inviting character. Daumier's linework lends the figures a lively presence that draws the viewer straight into the café scene. Careful detail and a satirical eye combine into a characteristic example of his art.
Technique
Lithograph on newsprint, preserved in two states; this impression is the second. Stone printing allowed for fine lines and shading, with which Daumier modeled the figures and the space around them. The strong light-dark contrast brings out the faces and deepens the spatial effect of the scene.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)