Oysters at 25 cents a dozen, horrible!... Even if you gave me 100 cents to eat half a dozen, I would not allow myself such an expense, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, March 23, 1866
Original title: Oysters at 25 cents a dozen, horrible!... Even if you gave me 100 cents to eat half a dozen, I would not allow myself such an expense, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, March 23, 1866
kurzbeschreibung
This 1866 lithograph by Honoré Daumier stages a comic everyday scene: a gentleman in a dark suit and top hat addresses a woman lying in bed. The print belongs to the series 'News of the Day' and appeared in the satirical journal Le Charivari.
Description
Two figures dominate the image: a man in a dark suit and top hat speaking to a woman in rustic clothing who lies in bed. His face looks worried or annoyed as he touches the woman, who appears tired or irritated. The background stays bare, with a wall and part of a window visible. Black and white defines the lithograph, as the technique dictates. Along the bottom runs a French text with a joking remark about the cost of oysters.
Context
The lithograph was published on 23 March 1866 in the French satirical journal Le Charivari. It belongs to the series 'News of the Day', in which Daumier lampooned contemporary social issues. The humorous comment on oyster prices points to the economic hardships of the middle class under the Second Empire. The work survives as the second state of three (Delteil), printed on newsprint.
Impact
The caricatural faces and exaggerated figures produce comedy. The print invites a smile while gently criticizing the cost of living of the time.
Technique
Lithography on newsprint, executed in black and white; this is the second state of three (Delteil), indicating careful reworking of the printing plate. The image area measures 24 × 20.7 cm, the sheet 29.7 × 29.1 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)