Author(s):
monnier, henry bonaventure (paris, 07–06–1799 - paris, 03–01–1877 — 3–6–1877), designer
feillet, pierre jacques, printer
type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print
name(s): print
materials and techniques: vellum paper, watercolor, lithography
dimensions - artwork:
height: 26cm
width: 34. 1cm
dimensions - picture:
height: 13. 7cm
width: 15. 5cm
dimensions - mounting:
height: 40cm
width: 30cm
description:
colored print. Marks, inscriptions, hallmarks:
wet stamp - t. H. (back): g
title of the work - under the image: frontispiece
author inscription - under the image on the left: henry monnier del. Inscription concerning the proof - under the image on the right: lith de feillet faub. Montmartre no. 4
iconographic description:
a young man wearing a cap is perched on a roof. The night sky is lit by the moon, the roofs of the city and two domes can be seen in the background. He observes the view through a telescope. He holds a piece of paper in his right hand. 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: "the old fountain located at the corner of rue de l'arbre-sec, and since rebuilt, offered the noble band the necessary facilities to reach the top of a house neighboring that of rené, which the king pretended to want to visit. The king, followed by his companions, began to travel on the roofs, at large terror of some bourgeois awakened by these false thieves who called them by some funny name, listened to the quarrels and pleasures of each household, or started some break-ins. " [excerpt from on catherine de medici, by honoré de balzac]
themes / subjects / places represented:
social subject, morals, night, roof, astronomy
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal91. 124. Date: Unknown.
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