Author(s):
monnier, henry bonaventure (paris, 07–06–1799 - paris, 03–01–1877 — 3–6–1877), designer
delpech, françois seraphin (orléans, 1778 - 1825), printer-lithographer
other title: views of paris (series title)
type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print
name(s): print
materials and techniques: vellum paper, watercolor, lithography
dimensions - artwork:
height: 26. 9cm
width: 35. 3cm
dimensions - picture:
height: 17. 6cm
width: 19. 4cm
dimensions - mounting:
height: 40cm
width: 30cm
description:
plate from the views of paris series
marks, inscriptions, hallmarks:
inscription - above the line in the middle: "views of paris" under the line on the left: "henry monnier" and on the right: "i. Lith. De delpech"
legend - under the image: after dinner / intimacy established between the guests / good words and jokes
iconographic description:
guests are assembled in a living room, everyone is comfortably seated on armchairs, benches and sofas. Children play at the feet of adults. The room is decorated with drapes, a large gilded frame and plants. Actor, playwright and designer, henry monnier helped illustrate la comédie humaine. His engravings of administrative morals, and especially his play scenes from bureaucratic life, clearly inspired balzac for his novel la femme supérieure, renamed les employés. The same references to the customs of their time often inspired the two artists in parallel on numerous subjects as we can see in the following extract: "to understand the suffering of the poor vicar, it is necessary to say that, gifted with an empty and sonorous loquacity like the sound of a balloon, he claimed, without ever having been able to give the doctors a single reason for his opinion, that words favored digestion. Mademoiselle, who shared this hygienic doctrine, had not yet failed, despite their lack of intelligence, to talk during meals but, for several mornings, the vicar had used his intelligence in vain to ask him insidious questions to succeed in loosening his tongue. " [excerpt from le curé de tour, by honoré de balzac]
themes / subjects / places represented:
subject of society, morals, salon
mode of acquisition: purchase
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal 98-156. Date: Unknown.
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