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
giraldon and bovinet, editor
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. 2cm
dimensions - image:
height: 15. 3cm
width: 21cm
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. 5
legend - in the image on the left: tapestriesin the image on the right: a poor devil. Inscription concerning the author - under the image on the left: henry monnier under the image on the right: litho by bernard, paris. Registration concerning the test - under the image: published by giraldon bovinet passage vivienne, n°26
iconographic description:
composition in two sketches. On the left side: three ladies are languid on a sofa, two of them are very corpulent while the third has an unprepossessing expression. On the right: a middle-aged clerk points his writing pen under the nose of a surprised underling who holds his top hat in one hand and his umbrella under his arm. Actor, playwright and designer, henry monnier contributed to illustrating the human comedy. 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: "-- well, let's start the list," said birotteau, "with the most upscale people. Write, césarine: monsieur le duc et madame la duchesse de lenoncourt. [. . . ] then monsieur le president of the commercial court, his wife and his two daughters. I forgot them in the authorities. Monsieur et madame lourdois and their daughter, monsieur claparon, banker, monsieur du tillet, monsieur grindot, monsieur molineux, pillerault and his owner, monsieur and madame camusot, the rich silk merchants, with their two sons, the one from the ecole polytechnique and the lawyer, who is going to be appointed judge, monsieur cardot and his children. Hey! crottat, célestin. . " [excerpt from history of the grandeur and decadence of césar birotteau, by honoré de balzac]
themes / subjects / places represented:
social subject, morals, women's fashion, feather
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal91. 47. Date: Unknown.
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