So, what do you think... will it be difficult getting a good price for this sketch?, from 'The artists,' published in Le Charivari, January 19, 1865
Original title: So, what do you think... will it be difficult getting a good price for this sketch?, from 'The artists,' published in Le Charivari, January 19, 1865
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier made this lithograph in January 1865 for his series 'Les Artistes', published in the magazine Le Charivari. The print brings together three men in a studio examining a sketch. It is a lithograph on newsprint, in the second of two states according to Delteil.
Description
Three figures occupy an interior: on the left stand two men, one holding a bottle and glass, the other a cup, both wearing caps and jackets. On the right a man sits at a table studying a sheet of paper. On the tabletop are a beaker, a jug, and another glass. A window opens onto a tree. Black-and-white lines and hatching stand out clearly, modeling figures and objects alike.
Context
For the satirical journal Le Charivari, Daumier devised the series 'Les Artistes', in which he took aim at the lives of artists. This sheet is dated 19 January 1865 and belongs to a group that deals with the financial side of the art trade. Daumier's reputation rests not least on such socially critical observations of everyday artistic life.
Impact
The situation feels everyday and relaxed, so that one immediately feels drawn into the conversation in the studio. A realistic approach and nuanced shading give the print a calm, reflective note. The alternation of standing and seated figures brings a natural tension to the layout.
Technique
Lithograph on newsprint: in this process one draws with greasy chalk on a stone and then prints. The second state suggests revisions from the first. Fine lines and graded tones, typical of Daumier, are made possible by this technique.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)