← Honoré Daumier

Well, if you look very closely, you might end up finding some quality!

Original title: Well, if you look very closely, you might end up finding some quality! The color seems to be good, from 'Sketches from the Salon,' published in Le Charivari, June 16, 1865

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

June 16, 1865

Medium

Lithograph and pen and brown ink on newsprint; first state of two (proof)

Dimensions

Image: 9 × 8 in. (22.8 × 20.3 cm) Sheet: 13 3/4 in. × 11 in. (34.9 × 28 cm)

Credit line

The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1956

kurzbeschreibung

Unlike many Salon caricatures that reduce the audience to a faceless crowd, Honoré Daumier's lithograph 'Nun, wenn Sie ganz genau hinsehen, könnten Sie am Ende vielleicht etwas Qualität entdecken!' (June 16, 1865) turns its attention to two individual men standing before a door, evidently scrutinizing a work of art. The print belongs to the series 'Sketches from the Salon' and is the first of two states; it is executed as a lithograph with brown ink on newsprint.

Description

Two men stand in an interior before a wooden door. The one on the right wears a black top hat and holds an object in his hand, perhaps a shoe, while his gaze is fixed on the door. The man on the left, also hatted, turns toward him and looks in the same direction. Behind them, other figures can be seen, all facing the same way. Rendered in black and white with thin strokes and hatching, the print emphasizes texture and architecture without strong shadows or harsh contrasts.

Context

Daumier published this lithograph on June 16, 1865, in the satirical newspaper Le Charivari as part of his series 'Sketches from the Salon.' The series took aim at the annual Paris art exhibition, the Salon, and mocked the behavior of visitors and critics. The print dates from a period when Daumier was known for his socially critical and humorous depictions of bourgeois life.

Impact

Realistic touches and caricatural exaggerations in the figures' expressions and postures merge. The even distribution of light and the thin line work create a calm, observant mood that carries the scene's satirical undertone.

Technique

Lithograph, retouched with pen and brown ink on newsprint; the print is the first of two states. In lithography, a design is drawn with greasy chalk on a stone; Daumier used thin lines and hatching to bring out details and textures.

AI-generated description text

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