Une Méprise - A slight mistake, BAL2013.35, En 1827

Author(s): monnier, henry bonaventure (paris, 07–06–1799 - paris, 03–01–1877 — 3–6–1877), designer senefelder et cie, designer-lithographer production date: in 1827 dating in century: 19th century type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print name(s): print materials and techniques: lithography, vellum paper, watercolor dimensions - artwork: height: 20. 8cm width: 26cm description: colored print marks, inscriptions, hallmarks: title of the work - under the image: une méprise. A slight mistake author inscription - below the image on the right: senefelder lith. Inscription concerning the author - under the image on the left: henry monnier iconographic description: in a room decorated with a heavy curtain and a sculpture in a niche, a soldier in ceremonial uniform stands erect. In front of him, a man almost kneels to respectfully hand him a sealed envelope. 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: " thuillier renewed his acquaintance with the saillards, the baudoyers, the falleixes, considerable people from the place royale district, and who were often invited to dinner. Madame colleville was, as a woman, the most distinguished person in this world, like minard fils, professor phellion, were its superior men; because all the others, without ideas, without education, coming from the lower ranks, offered the types and ridicule of the petty bourgeoisie although every upstart supposes some merit, minard was a bloated balloon, pouring out in stringy sentences, taking obsequiousness for politeness and formula for wit, [. . . ] "[excerpt from les petits bourgeois, by honoré de balzac] themes / subjects / places represented: subject of society, morals, military (profession), letter mode of acquisition: purchase institution: maison de balzac inventory number: bal2013. 35. Date: En 1827.