Coffee house politics, from 'The good bourgeois,' published in "Le Charivari", April 21, 1864
Original title: Coffee house politics, from 'The good bourgeois,' published in "Le Charivari", April 21, 1864
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'Kaffeehaus-Politik' (Café Politics), dated 21 April 1864, belongs to the series 'Der brave Bürger' (The Good Citizen) and appeared in the satirical journal 'Le Charivari'. It shows two men in a café, an everyday situation with a political overtone.
Description
Two men people the café: in the foreground one sits upright, in a suit and tie, a cigar in his mouth and a coffee cup in his hand. Opposite him lies a second man, top hat on his head, looking over at him. The layout is asymmetrical and draws the eye to the seated figure; behind them, figures and a landscape remain only suggested. Monochrome and evenly lit, as is usual for lithographs.
Context
The print was published in 'Le Charivari', a French satirical journal known for political and social caricatures. With the series 'Der brave Bürger', Daumier attacked the philistinism and political indifference of the bourgeoisie under the Second Empire. The date of 21 April 1864 falls in a period when politics was eagerly discussed in Parisian cafés.
Impact
Humorous and ironic, the print charges an ordinary café scene with political meaning. A tension arises between the active, smoking man and the passively reclining top-hatted figure, inviting further thought.
Technique
The work is a lithograph on newsprint, in the third state of three (Delteil). The process allows fine lines and shading that benefit the caricature. Printing on newsprint points to mass distribution through the journal.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)