Author(s):
monnier, henry bonaventure (paris, 07–06–1799 - paris, 03–01–1877 — 3–6–1877), designer
bernard, charles louis (paris, 29–06–1769 - paris, 11–09–1848), designer-lithographer
other title: recreation (series title)
dating in century: 19th century
type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print
name(s): print
materials and techniques: vellum paper, watercolor, lithography
dimensions - artwork:
height: 23cm
width: 31. 4cm
dimensions - picture:
height: 13cm
width: 20cm
description:
colored print
marks, inscriptions, hallmarks:
wet stamp - t. H. : monogram a m and 2 r next to each other?
title of the work - above the image: recreations
number - above the image on the right: pl. 25
caption - in the image on the left: d. Is the weather nice? a. Yes sirin the picture on the right: d. Is the weather nice? b. Yes madam. Inscription concerning the author - under the image on the left: henry monnier under the image on the right: lith de bernard
iconographic description:
composition in two sketches. On the left, a middle-aged man with a cane in his hand teases a young maid by pinching her chin; she looks down and seems embarrassed. On the right side, a lady and a young man are seated on armchairs side by side. The lady, while embroidering, turned towards the young man, who, shy, has his eyes down on his top hat which he holds in his lap. 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 morals of their time often inspired the two artists in parallel on numerous subjects as we can see in the following extract: "--was monsieur a boy? madame wanted a person of regulated morals; we closed the door at eleven o'clock at the latest. Monsieur, he said in closing, seems to me to be of an age to suit madame de la chanterie. -- so how old do you give me? asked godefroid. -- something like forty, replied the grocer. This naive response threw godefroid into an attack of misanthropy and sadness [. . . ]" [excerpt from the other side of contemporary history, by honoré de balzac]
themes / subjects / places represented:
subject of society, morals, couture and needlework
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal91. 69. Date: Unknown.
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