Le petit homme gris, BAL2007.69, En 1828

Author(s): monnier, henry bonaventure (paris, 07–06–1799 - paris, 03–01–1877 — 3–6–1877), designer other title: songs of béranger (title of the series) production date: in 1828 dating in century: 19th century type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print name(s): print materials and techniques: laid paper, watercolor dimensions - artwork: height: 15. 2cm width: 22. 5cm dimensions - album: height: 15. 7cm width: 24cm description: colored engraving marks, inscriptions, hallmarks: title of the work - under the image: the little gray man inscription concerning the author - under the image on the left: henry monnier author inscription - under the image on the right: lith. Rue nd des victoires, 16. Iconographic description: a little pot-bellied man approaches, his white handkerchief in his hand, a man who greets him. A woman is sitting nearby. The scene is located on a country lane, near a hamlet whose houses we can make out. Illustration of the words of béranger's song "the little gray man" of which here is an extract: "there is a little man all dressed in gray, in paris, chubby as an apple, who, without a penny in cash, lives content, and says: me, i'm out of it. . . And says: me, i'm out of it. . . Well, i'm laughing at it! oh! how gay (bis) the little gray man is!" béranger (1780-1857) is a prolific and extremely popular french singer whom balzac refers to in several of his novels. "this worthy gentleman particularly hated priests, he was part of this large herd of simpletons who subscribed to the constitutionnel, and was very concerned about the refusal of burials. He adored voltaire, although his preferences were for piron, vadé, collé. Naturally he admired béranger, whom he ingeniously called the high priest of lisette's religion. His daughters, madame camusot and madame protez, his two sons, would be, according to a popular expression, fallen from their height, if someone had explained to them what their father meant by: singing about mother godichon!” [excerpt from a beginning in life, by honoré de balzac] themes / subjects / places represented: literary scene, countryside mode of acquisition: purchase institution: maison de balzac inventory number: bal2007. 69. Date: En 1828.