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: 27. 9cm
width: 34. 7cm
dimensions - image:
height: 17. 2cm
width: 19. 5cm
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"
caption - under the image: financial aristocracy
iconographic description:
a compact crowd of men and women is gathered, all standing in an indeterminate setting. The young women are coquettish and adorned with ribbons and veils, they hold the arms of distinguished men. Three men in the center of the image have their eyes attracted by the young women. 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: "on a lovely morning, you stroll through paris. It is after two o'clock, but it has not yet struck five. You see a woman coming towards you, the first glance cast at her is like the preface to a beautiful book, it makes you intuit a world of elegant and fine things. Like the botanist across the mountains and mountains. Worth of her herbalism, among the parisian vulgarities you finally encounter a rare flower. Either this woman is accompanied by two very distinguished men, at least one of whom is decorated, or some servant in scantily dressed follows her ten steps away. She wears neither bright colors, nor open stockings, nor overly worked belt buckles, nor pants with embroidered cuffs bubbling around her ankle. Cotton stockings of excessive fineness or plain gray silk stockings, i. E. Boots of the most exquisite simplicity. " [excerpt from another study of a woman, by honoré de balzac]
themes / subjects / places represented:
subject of society, morals, grisette, crowd
mode of acquisition: purchase
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal 98-154. Date: Unknown.
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