Consequences of a horsemeat dinner, from 'Parisian sketches,' published in Le Charivari, April 8, 1865
Original title: Consequences of a horsemeat dinner, from 'Parisian sketches,' published in Le Charivari, April 8, 1865
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike most of Daumier's café caricatures, this print thrives on the aftermath: a man in a state of advanced drunkenness leans toward a seated woman, and the tension between them is the real subject. The lithograph was made on 8 April 1865 and belongs to the 'Choquis Parisiens' series published in the satirical journal Le Charivari. What sets the drawing apart from more harmless tavern scenes is its critical undertone: the encounter is comic but not innocuous.
Description
A man bends over a seated woman; his features are grotesquely exaggerated and at the same time uncomfortable, while she reacts with a startled, worried face. Other patrons are only hinted at in the background and remain pale next to the two main figures. The setting is an interior that reads as a café or bar. Black and white, evenly lit, with no visible shadows—suggesting artificial light in the room. The layout puts the confrontation between the two at the center and lets everything else recede.
Context
The print was published in Le Charivari, the French satirical journal famous for political and social caricatures. With the 'Choquis Parisiens', Daumier captured scenes from everyday Parisian life, close to people and their weaknesses. Horse meat was a contentious issue in France in April 1865, as it was traded as a cheap substitute for the poorer classes. The drawing alludes to the health and social consequences attributed to its consumption.
Impact
Comedy and unease lie close together here: the man's overblown expression and the woman's reaction make the awkwardness of the situation palpable. Because the black-and-white technique stays reduced, the eye falls entirely on the two figures and their confrontation, without distraction. The print feels like a frozen moment—one smirks but is also reminded of a social grievance.
Technique
The lithograph was printed on newsprint, as was customary for publication in the journal. What survives is the second state of two (according to Delteil), which documents a revision of the printing plate. The lithographic process allowed fine lines and gradations, used here deliberately for faces and details of the caricature.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)