← Honoré Daumier

At the four penny baths, from 'Summer sketches,' published in Le Charivari, August 12, 1865

Original title: At the four penny baths, from 'Summer sketches,' published in Le Charivari, August 12, 1865

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

August 12, 1865

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 7/16 × 8 3/4 in. (23.9 × 22.3 cm) Sheet: 11 5/8 × 11 13/16 in. (29.5 × 30 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1953

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'At the Four-Penny Bath,' dated 12 August 1865, opens onto a scene in a public swimming establishment. It belongs to the 'Summer Sketches' series and appeared in the journal Le Charivari. The print is executed as a lithograph on newsprint, in the second state of two (Delteil).

Description

People crowd a public bath: several swim or wade in the water, while others stand on the diving board or at the pool's edge. One person sits on a bench reading, and on the bridge someone prepares to jump into the water. The layout feels animated, capturing a range of activities and moods. The rendering stays monochrome in shades of grey, with clear lines and shading that bring out light and contrast.

Context

This lithograph was made as part of a series of summer drawings published in August 1865 in the satirical newspaper Le Charivari. Public baths were a popular subject in the nineteenth century, offering glimpses into urban life and leisure habits. The title 'Four-Penny Bath' refers to the cheap bathing facilities for the working class in Paris. Daumier was known for his socially critical and humorous portrayals of everyday life.

Impact

The caricatural, humorous tone typical of Daumier's work also shapes this print. The animated layout and the varied activities of the bathers create a lively, almost narrative atmosphere. Looking at it brings a smile, while the scene also conveys a realistic impression of urban bathing pleasures.

Technique

Lithography on newsprint was used for this work: a fatty crayon is drawn on a stone and then printed. Clear lines and fine shading, characteristic of lithography, allow precise reproduction of details. The second state of two (Delteil) points to a reworking of the plate, as was common in printmaking.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)