View of a refreshment stand at a bath on the Seine, from 'Summer sketches,' published in Le Charivari, August 3, 1865
Original title: View of a refreshment stand at a bath on the Seine, from 'Summer sketches,' published in Le Charivari, August 3, 1865
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's 1865 lithograph takes us to a refreshment stand at a Seine bathing spot: bathers crowd around a counter. The print belongs to the series 'Sommerskizzen' (Summer Sketches) and appeared in the satirical magazine Le Charivari.
Description
In the foreground, a man in a bathing suit holds a bottle to his mouth and nose. A boy leans on the counter, behind which stands an adult holding an object; further back, another figure in bathing attire can be made out. The space feels like a small shop or café. The counter forms the focal point, with the figures spread out around it across the width of the image.
Context
Daumier drew this lithograph for the series 'Sommerskizzen', published in Le Charivari in August 1865. Bathing in the Seine was then one of Parisians' favourite summer pastimes, and the artist followed the goings-on with a mocking eye. The print thus comments on everyday life as bathing culture developed along the river.
Impact
Exaggerated facial expressions and the animated grouping of the figures give the sheet liveliness and a caricatural streak. Realistic in its layout, satirical in tone, the view provokes amusement and at the same time prompts reflection on the Parisians' summer leisure.
Technique
The lithograph was printed on newsprint, as was customary for satirical papers in the nineteenth century. The present example is the second state of two (Delteil), which documents the print's publishing history. Executed in black and white with even lighting, the technique follows the conventions of the period.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)