← Honoré Daumier

You find spring too cold this year... next year you will perhaps find it too hot, from "News of the day"

Original title: You find spring too cold this year... next year you will perhaps find it too hot, from "News of the day"

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

March 30, 1867

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 15/16 × 8 3/8 in. (25.3 × 21.3 cm) Sheet: 11 13/16 × 11 7/16 in. (30 × 29 cm)

Credit line

Bequest of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1957

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier turned to lithography for this 1867 print, drawn on newsprint. It belongs to his 'Actualités' (News of the Day) series and presents two men in conversation.

Description

A gaunt man in short trousers and a hat stands facing a stouter gentleman in a long coat, top hat and spectacles. They appear to be talking. Diagonal strokes behind them suggest a rain cloud. Along the top edge one reads 'ACTUALITÉS' and the page number 47, with French text below.

Context

The lithograph was made on March 30, 1867, for the satirical journal 'Le Charivari'. The 'Actualités' series took up current events and social observations. This sheet alludes to the changeable temperatures of spring — an everyday topic of conversation.

Impact

The contrasting figures and the gloomy cloud give the scene a humorous, ironic edge. Viewers are invited to smile because the situation feels familiar.

Technique

This lithograph on newsprint is the second state of two (Delteil). The printing process allows for fine lines and graduated shading, as is characteristic of caricature.

AI-generated description text

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