← Honoré Daumier Honoré Daumier — One rejoices in a pure, unspoiled happiness when harvesting one's own apples... at least as long as one doesn't break one's neck, from "The joys of country life"

Honoré Daumier — One rejoices in a pure, unspoiled happiness when harvesting one's own apples... at least as long as one doesn't break one's neck, from "The joys of country life"

One rejoices in a pure, unspoiled happiness when harvesting one's own apples... at least as long as one doesn't break one's neck, from "The joys of country life"

Original title: One rejoices in a pure, unspoiled happiness when harvesting ones own apples... at least as long as one doesn't break one's neck, from "The joys of country life"

Artist: Honoré Daumier
Date: September 14, 1865
Medium: Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)
Dimensions: Image: 6 11/16 × 9 11/16 in. (17 × 24.6 cm) Sheet: 8 3/8 × 11 7/16 in. (21.2 × 29.1 cm)
Credit line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1936

kurzbeschreibung

A lithograph on newsprint by Honoré Daumier, made on 14 September 1865: a cheerful rural scene in which a man on a ladder picks apples while a second person lies on the ground, evidently struck by a falling apple. The sheet belongs to the series 'The Pleasures of Country Life' and is here in the second of two states.

Description

Up on a ladder, a figure in shirt and trousers, basket on his arm, harvests the fruit from the tree. Below, another figure lies on the ground, hit by one of the falling apples. Trees and a fence set the rural frame. The rendering stays in greys, with even light and no hard shadows. The approach is caricatural and cheerful, as one expects from Daumier.

Context

Daumier drew this sheet in 1865 for the series 'The Pleasures of Country Life', published in the satirical magazine 'Le Charivari'. The series mocked the romantic idealization of rural life that was common in the art and literature of the time. Daumier was known for his socially critical caricatures, which observed everyday scenes with irony and sharp wit.

Impact

The contrast between the peaceful harvest and the figure's fall creates a comic effect. One has to smile because the expected harmony of country life is ironically undermined. The restriction to greys and the clear outlines underline the caricatural quality, which remains timeless.

Technique

The sheet was printed as a lithograph on newsprint, a common process for Daumier's series that allowed quick and cheap reproduction. The present impression is the second of two states, suggesting a later revision of the plate. The thin strokes and graduated greys reveal Daumier's skill in lithography.

AI-generated description text

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