There's a strange one..., from 'The landscape painters,' published in Le Charivari, December 9, 1864
Original title: There's a strange one..., from 'The landscape painters,' published in Le Charivari, December 9, 1864
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph "Das ist ein seltsamer..." belongs to the series "Les Paysagistes" and appeared on December 9, 1864, in the journal Le Charivari. It presents two farm workers in conversation while, behind them, a landscape painter works at his easel — an amusing pairing.
Description
Two figures fill the foreground and turn toward each other: on the left a man in a long dark coat holding a spade, on the right someone in rustic clothing and a cap. Further back a third figure sits at an easel, painting a landscape. Broad hills and a low horizon close off the view. Black and white dominates the sheet, the light falls evenly, and strong contrasts are absent. A caricatural touch carries the scene's humorous tone.
Context
The print formed part of the series "Les Paysagistes" and was published in the satirical paper Le Charivari, famous for its political and social caricatures. Daumier made this series in December 1864 to parody the fashion for landscape painting and its practitioners. The sheet documents his critical look at the art world of the day, especially the rising open-air painters.
Impact
Your eye goes first to the two talking figures in front, then to the painter behind them — a contrast between working country people and the idealizing artist that invites a smile. The clear layout and plain black-and-white technique sharpen the point: the gap between artistic practice and rural reality becomes visible. The humor unfolds without any loud devices.
Technique
A lithograph on newsprint, executed in the second state of two (Delteil). The lithographic process allowed fast, inexpensive reproduction — ideal for a satirical journal. The drawing shows precise linework and a stroke characteristic of Daumier.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)