Madame Gargantua: A model, recommended for the next carnival, from "News of the day"
Original title: Madame Gargantua: A model, recommended for the next carnival, from "News of the day"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier, known for his political and social caricatures, made this lithograph on March 2, 1866, titled 'Madame Gargantua: A Model Recommended for the Next Carnival.' It belongs to his series 'News of the Day' and features a woman relishing a large piece of meat. The print is on newsprint and is the second state of two (Delteil).
Description
A woman with a high collar and striking curly hair brings a large piece of meat to her mouth on a fork. Beside her sits a glass of liquid, likely wine. Two small figures in the background make her appear especially large. The setting is a dining room, with the woman dominating the foreground. The black-and-white of the sheet and the exaggerated caricature create a humorous tone.
Context
Daumier drew this lithograph for the satirical journal 'Le Charivari,' where he regularly commented on political and social matters. The figure of 'Madame Gargantua' alludes to the giant Gargantua from literature and may target bourgeois gluttony. The series 'News of the Day' appeared in the 1860s and took up current events and social types.
Impact
The oversized woman and her unashamed appetite come across as comic, heightened by the small figures behind her. Daumier's sharp line and exaggerated portrayal prompt a smile but also carry a satirical jab at social excess.
Technique
For this sheet Daumier used lithography, a printing process in which a design is drawn with greasy chalk on a stone. The second state of two (Delteil) is printed on newsprint. This technique allows fine lines and shading, which Daumier employed for his characteristic caricature art.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)