← Honoré Daumier

A pair of friends, from "News of the day"

Original title: A pair of friends, from "News of the day"

Artist

Honoré Daumier

Date

January 21, 1867

Medium

Lithograph on newsprint; fourth state of four (Delteil)

Dimensions

Image: 9 5/16 × 8 7/16 in. (23.7 × 21.5 cm) Sheet: 11 1/2 × 11 7/16 in. (29.2 × 29.1 cm)

Credit line

Bequest of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1957

kurzbeschreibung

Unlike many of Daumier's solitary portraits or quiet genre scenes, this lithograph from 21 January 1867 presents a pair locked in a tense, almost combative situation on the ground. Part of the series 'Nachrichten des Tages' (News of the Day), the print on newsprint — fourth state of four (Delteil) — draws the eye to an unusual close-up of human interaction.

Description

A female figure lies stretched out on her back, clutching a man who kneels or lies over her. Their bodies intertwine into a strained unit that suggests a scuffle. Behind them, a palm tree and a tower form a simple backdrop. Faces and clothing are rendered with clear contours and detail, and the image remains black and white. The layout feels centered, the lighting even and without harsh shadows, while the style carries caricatural and humorous traits.

Context

Daumier drew this lithograph for the satirical journal 'Le Charivari' as part of the series 'Actualités' (News of the Day). The dating to January 1867 falls in the era of the Second Empire under Napoleon III, when the artist regularly skewered political and social events. The series commented on current affairs and everyday occurrences with sharp irony. The motif of two friends alludes to a ostensibly friendly bond that the image, however, exposes as conflict-ridden.

Impact

Between comedy and menace, the print unfolds an ambivalent effect: the exaggerated posture and the title 'A Pair of Friends' prompt a smile, while the aggressive dynamic of the scene generates latent tension. Daumier's line gives the figures an expressive liveliness that pulls the viewer directly into the action.

Technique

As a lithograph, the print relies on a planographic process in which the drawing is applied with greasy chalk to a limestone. Daumier used newsprint as a support, as was customary for mass production in journals. The fourth state of four indicates several revisions of the printing plate, characteristic of the artist's working method.

AI-generated description text

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