← Honoré Daumier

Entering and leaving the exhibition: Studies from life, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"

Original title: Entering and leaving the exhibition: Studies from life, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

May 15 ,1867

Medium

Lithograph and pen and brown ink on newsprint; third state of three, proof (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 13/16 × 8 3/8 in. (25 × 21.3 cm) Sheet: 12 13/16 × 10 1/2 in. (32.5 × 26.6 cm)

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1922

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier’s lithograph from 1867 shows two men standing before a door marked 'EXPOSITION'. The print belongs to the series 'News of the day' and appeared in the journal 'Le Charivari'. It is executed as a lithograph, supplemented with pen and brown ink on newsprint; this is the third state of three, a proof (Delteil).

Description

Two figures stand before a door bearing the word 'EXPOSITION'. The figure on the left, wearing a top hat, dark coat and holding a cane, turns toward the other. On the right, someone in a long coat and jacket holds his top hat, eyes downcast, lost in thought. Another door with the same inscription appears in the background; the street scene is framed by a curtain and a lantern. A small tower can be seen at the upper left.

Context

Daumier made this lithograph for the satirical newspaper 'Le Charivari', where he regularly published political and social commentary. The print comes from the series 'News of the day' and pokes fun at exhibition culture in Paris at the time, likely in the context of the Paris Salons. The proof, reworked with pen and brown ink, reveals how Daumier revised his prints for the final version.

Impact

The contrast between the engaged, active figure on the left and the passive, pensive one on the right holds the viewer’s gaze in suspense and lends the encounter an ironic edge. The spare black-and-white design brings the two men’s postures and the word 'EXPOSITION' to the fore, emphasizing the exhibition context. The result is an image of an everyday meeting that carries quiet satire about the audience of exhibitions.

Technique

The print was made as a lithograph on newsprint and then reworked with pen and brown ink. The third state of three represents the final version, preserved as a proof (Delteil). Printing and drawing come together here, showing Daumier’s pleasure in experimenting with different media.

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