Plate 45: Exploitation of love, from 'Caricaturana,' published in Les Robert Macaires
Original title: Plate 45: Exploitation of love, from 'Caricaturana,' published in Les Robert Macaires
kurzbeschreibung
A kneeling man with a pipe and a serious-looking seated woman in an interior — this 1838 lithograph by Honoré Daumier is titled 'Exploitation de l'amour'. It belongs to the 'Caricaturana' series and appeared in 'Les Robert Macaires'. The print is a lithograph on wove paper, second state of two (Delteil).
Description
Before a sofa adorned with wall decorations, a gentleman in a suit kneels, pipe in hand, turned toward a seated woman. Her long dress and grave expression define the encounter. Below the figures, a French text gives the title and a poem. The whole remains monochrome in shades of gray.
Context
The 'Caricaturana' series was created in the 1830s, a period of political and social tension in France. Robert Macaire, the central character, mocked the bourgeois swindler and fraud. This sheet attacks the exploitation of romantic feelings in the society of the time. It was published in the journal 'Les Robert Macaires'.
Impact
Devotion meets emotional distance — the contrast between the man's submissive posture and the woman's serious face creates an ironic tension. The detailed lines and shading make the image lively and almost theatrical.
Technique
For this sheet Daumier chose lithography, a planographic process that allows fine lines and soft tonal gradations. Executed on wove paper, the print shows precise draughtsmanship and careful shading. In the second state, possible reworkings can be seen compared with the first.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)