Not bad, not bad at all the lady over there.... I wonder if she is alone... What rakes we are!
Original title: Not bad, not bad at all the lady over there.... I wonder if she is alone... What rakes we are!, from 'Parisian sketches,' published in Le Charivari, September 8, 1864
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many comparable sheets in the series, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier puts two men in the foreground who are not acting themselves but are sizing up a woman behind them. The work belongs to the 'Parisian Sketches' and was published on September 8, 1864, in the satirical magazine 'Le Charivari'. It is executed as a lithograph on newsprint.
Description
Two men in top hats, each with a walking stick, occupy the front half of the image; their faces are drawn in detail with lively expressions. Behind them, at a table, sits a woman wearing a head covering and jacket, looking over at the men. Trees and an evenly lit sky suggest an outdoor setting. The layout feels symmetrical, the lithograph stays in shades of gray, and the style is caricatural and humorous.
Context
Daumier brought out the 'Parisian Sketches' in 'Le Charivari', a magazine known for its social criticism. The lithograph was made during the Second Empire under Napoleon III, when Paris was undergoing a phase of intense urbanization and social upheaval. Daumier often took up flanerie and the role of the observer in the public space of the big city.
Impact
Because the men's faces are drawn so precisely and the caption is ironic, the sheet comes across as immediately comic and inviting. The symmetrical arrangement and the calm distribution of light give the scene a composure that brings out the satirical undertone even more.
Technique
Lithograph on newsprint – a common process for satirical sheets in the 19th century. It allowed fine lines and shading, which are used here for the caricatural rendering of faces and clothing.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)