← Honoré Daumier Honoré Daumier — The competition at the conservatory: At the 79th audition of "Oh, what a pleasure to be a soldier!", from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"

Honoré Daumier — The competition at the conservatory: At the 79th audition of "Oh, what a pleasure to be a soldier!", from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"

The competition at the conservatory: At the 79th audition of "Oh, what a pleasure to be a soldier!", from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"

Original title: The competition at the conservatory: At the 79th audition of "Oh, what a pleasure to be a soldier!", from 'News of the day,' published in "Le Charivari"

Artist: Honoré Daumier
Date: August 1, 1870
Medium: Lithograph on wove paper; first state of two (Delteil)
Dimensions: Image: 10 7/16 × 8 13/16 in. (26.5 × 22.4 cm) Sheet: 13 9/16 × 10 15/16 in. (34.4 × 27.8 cm)
Credit line: Rogers Fund, 1922

kurzbeschreibung

Honoré Daumier’s 1870 lithograph captures an audition at the Conservatoire: on stage, a performer sings ‘Oh, what joy to be a soldier!’, while several men sit in the audience before him. The print lampoons the examination system and the military fervor then widespread.

Description

Several men in dark clothing sit in the foreground, looking up toward the stage. There, a lone figure stands with one arm raised, evidently singing or declaiming. The lithograph stays in shades of gray, with sharp contours and clearly outlined lines. Light is evenly distributed, suggesting an interior without direct sunlight. The layout is concentrated, directing the viewer’s attention to the relationship between performer and listeners.

Context

The print appeared on August 1, 1870, in the satirical journal Le Charivari and belongs to Daumier’s series ‘News of the day,’ with which he took up current social and political topics. The title alludes to the military enthusiasm immediately before the Franco-Prussian War. Daumier uses the audition scene to skewer the absurdity of exaggerated patriotic songs.

Impact

The precise lines and calm arrangement give the print a detached, observational feel. An ironic tension arises between the solitary performer and the motionless audience. Thus the image invites reflection on the rituals of examination culture and the militarism of the era.

Technique

The lithograph on wove paper is the first of two states (Delteil). This printing method allows fine gradations of shading and detailed line work. The monochrome gray palette emphasizes the drawing’s quality and the satirical bite of the subject.

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