Deep thoughts of a grocer: One really mustn't speak badly of the sheep of Panurge... these here are getting sheared too, from 'News of the day,' published in 'Le Charivari'
Original title: Deep thoughts of a grocer: One really mustn't speak badly of the sheep of Panurge... these here are getting sheared too, from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier made this lithograph in 1867, showing a grocer in rustic dress watching a group of people in traditional costume. It belongs to the series 'Actualités' and appeared in the satirical journal 'Le Charivari'. The technique combines lithography with pen and brown ink on newsprint.
Description
A man in plain country clothing stands in the foreground, his gaze turned toward a cluster of figures in traditional dress. They are set out in a rural setting with trees and clouds behind them. Lithographic shading produces a range of greys, giving the sheet a monochrome cast. Light falls evenly across it, with no strong shadows or bright highlights.
Context
Daumier drew this sheet for 'Actualités', a series in the nineteenth-century satirical paper 'Le Charivari'. The title alludes to the sheep of Panurge in Rabelais's novel, an image of blind imitation. Made in June 1867, the print falls in a period of political and social upheaval in France under Napoleon III. Through the figure of the grocer, Daumier levels social criticism without naming political actors directly.
Impact
The sketchy handling and delicate shading lend the drawing liveliness and immediacy. The calm arrangement and even light create a pensive, almost ironic mood. The sheet thus prompts reflection on the situation it presents.
Technique
Lithography, reworked with pen and brown ink on newsprint, is what we have here: the second state of three, a proof impression. Fine strokes and shading are characteristic of lithography, which allows a drawing-like rendering.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)