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: moral and philosophical sketches (series title)
type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print
name(s): print
materials and techniques: watercolor, vellum paper, lithography
dimensions - artwork:
height: 23. 2cm
width: 30. 6 cm
dimensions - image:
height: 15cm
width: 17. 1cm
description:
plate from the moral and philosophical sketches series
marks, inscriptions, hallmarks:
inscription - under the line on the left: "henry monnier" and on the right: "i. Lith. De delp"
caption - below the image: i don't like spinach. And i'm very happy about it. . . If i loved them. . . I would eat them. . . And i can't stand them. Iconographic description:
two middle-aged men sitting on armchairs are conversing. In the background, a lady stands in front of a fireplace with a tray filled with food in her hand. A screen conceals the back of the room as well as a large painting representing a wooded landscape. 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 on numerous subjects at the same time, as we can see in the following extract: "isn't that something beautiful? we have to see who you are. A maid is a maid, just like i am a janitor! why do we have spinach-seed epaulettes in the military? to each their own rank! here, do you want me to tell you the end of all that? well, france is lost!” [excerpt from le cousin pons, by honoré de balzac]
themes / subjects / places represented:
social subject, morals, cap, cane, fireplace, domestic interior
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal91. 120. Unknown date
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