Prudhomme obliged to take lessons from Miss Menken in order to stop a cab, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, July 1, 1867
Original title: Prudhomme obliged to take lessons from Miss Menken in order to stop a cab, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, July 1, 1867
kurzbeschreibung
Dating from 1867, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier is a humorous caricature of a rider who tries in vain to stop a cab while a second figure waves a stick wildly. Part of the series 'News of the day,' the sheet is a lithograph with pen and ink revisions on newsprint, in the second state of two.
Description
In the foreground a man sits on horseback, his suit and hat slipped back; his face shows surprise and bewilderment. Behind the horse, another figure in a hat swings a stick as if to halt the animal. More people in the background are in motion, adding to the liveliness. The lithograph's graded grays create strong contrasts and make the forms stand out clearly.
Context
On 1 July 1867 this caricature appeared in the French satirical magazine 'Le Charivari' as part of the series 'News of the day.' Daumier often took up social and political topics of his time; here he likely targeted the American equestrian Adah Isaacs Menken, famous for her spectacular performances. The print belongs to a period in which Daumier was appreciated for his pointed social commentary.
Impact
The exaggerated figures and the movement of the scene create a comic yet lively impression. The humorous exaggeration invites a smile, while clear lines and contrasts draw the eye to the central action.
Technique
For this sheet Daumier used lithography, which he revised with pen and brown ink on newsprint. The lithographic process allows fine lines and nuanced shading, which the manual reworking further emphasizes. It is a proof of the second state, as noted in the Delteil reference.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)