← Honoré Daumier

My friend, you have taken the wrong bus, get out quickly! (February 12, 1866)

Original title: My friend, you have taken the wrong bus, get out quickly!, from 'Parisian sketches,' published in Le Charivari, February 12, 1866

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

February 12, 1866

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 5/16 × 8 3/8 in. (23.7 × 21.3 cm) Sheet: 11 7/8 × 11 7/16 in. (30.1 × 29 cm)

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1922

kurzbeschreibung

Unlike the many contemporary omnibus pictures that show passengers boarding in an orderly fashion, this print by Honoré Daumier puts chaos front and center: two men get tangled up while trying to climb into a bus. The lithograph belongs to the series 'Parisian Sketches' and appeared in Le Charivari on February 12, 1866. Executed in black and white, it captures a humorous slice of everyday life.

Description

In the foreground, a gentleman in a bowler hat and jacket leans over the back of an omnibus, trying to get inside. A second man, also in a top hat, holds a lantern and looks over at the first. The other passengers and the bus itself are only suggested in the background. The figures are drawn in detail and true to life, and the layout is easy to read. Below the image, the accompanying dialogue appears as text.

Context

Le Charivari, the satirical magazine where Daumier's 'Parisian Sketches' were published, was known for social-critical caricatures. At the time the lithograph was made, public transport in Paris was growing rapidly, and omnibuses were part of daily life. The humorous misunderstanding at boarding draws on an experience familiar to Parisians of the day.

Impact

The pointed wit and the literal dialogue make the scene immediately funny. The precise drawing of the figures and the clear arrangement draw the eye to the man's mishap. The result is a vivid picture of nineteenth-century Paris street life.

Technique

For this lithograph, Daumier drew with greasy chalk on a limestone, from which the print was then taken. The sheet is on newsprint and corresponds to the second state of two (according to Delteil). The precise linework demonstrates Daumier's skill in capturing movement and facial expression.

AI-generated description text

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