← Honoré Daumier

Don't worry, I'll take good care of your case, I am from Normandy, just like you, from 'Types and features,' published in Le Charivari, June 21, 1864

Original title: Don't worry, I'll take good care of your case, I am from Normandy, just like you, from 'Types and features,' published in Le Charivari, June 21, 1864

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

June 21, 1864

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; third state of three (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 5/16 × 8 3/16 in. (23.6 × 20.8 cm) Sheet: 11 11/16 × 10 13/16 in. (29.7 × 27.4 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1962

kurzbeschreibung

Three figures are absorbed in conversation: a robed man in spectacles holds a scroll, a smaller figure grins broadly, and a man in a top hat and coat turns toward the first. Honoré Daumier's lithograph of 1864 belongs to the series 'Typen und Physiognomien' and appeared in Le Charivari. Printed in shades of grey on newsprint, the sheet conveys the artist's satirical view of society.

Description

On the left stands a man in a robe, wearing glasses and holding a parchment scroll as he gestures. A smaller figure with a wide smile takes part in the exchange at the centre. To the right, a man in a top hat and coat looks toward the figure on the left. The setting stays plain and dark, throwing the figures into relief. A French caption along the bottom edge records the dialogue.

Context

Daumier made the print in 1864, and it was published on 21 June in the satirical journal Le Charivari. He conceived the series 'Typen und Physiognomien' as a commentary on the social types and manners of his day. The figure of the Norman, meant to inspire confidence, plays on regional stereotypes widespread in nineteenth-century France.

Impact

The dark, pared-down background draws the eye to the figures and their emphatic body language. Precise draughtsmanship gives faces and gestures a lively, almost theatrical presence. Expression and posture make the encounter immediate and funny.

Technique

Daumier used lithography on newsprint for this sheet, a process then standard for satirical prints in periodicals. It allowed fine lines and gradations of shadow that bring out the figures in detail and with expressive force. The work is the third state of three, as documented by Delteil.

AI-generated description text

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