Author(s):
monnier, henry bonaventure (paris, 07–06–1799 - paris, 03–01–1877 — 3–6–1877), designer
delpech, françois seraphin (orléans, 1778 - 1825), designer-lithographer
other title: yesterday & today (series title)
dating in century: 19th century
type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print
name(s): print
materials and techniques: lithography, watercolor, laid paper
dimensions - artwork:
height: 23. 2cm
width: 28. 9cm
dimensions - picture:
height: 16cm
width: 15. 4cm
dimensions - mounting:
height: 40cm
width: 30cm
description:
colored print
marks, inscriptions, hallmarks:
title of the work - above the image: jadis
legend - under the image: an evening
inscription concerning the author - under the image on the left: henry monnier
registration concerning the test - under the image on the right: i. Lith de delpech
iconographic description:
at the time of the ancien régime, a crowd gathered in a ceremonial room richly decorated with large bronzes and flowered columns. A ball is going to take place. The ladies are wearing powdered wigs, painted with fly makeup and dressed in ribbon dresses. The men wore embroidered jackets, buckled shoes and short wigs. 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: "i danced with one of the most beautiful women at the ball, a ravishing countess, the most delicious creature i have ever seen. She wore her hair with peach blossoms, she had the most beautiful bouquet of flowers on her side, natural flowers which were fragrant, but, bah! you would have to have seen her, it is impossible to to paint a woman animated by dance. Well, this morning i met this divine countess, at nine o'clock, on foot, on rue des grès. Oh! i imagined. . . "
themes / subjects / places represented:
subject of society, morals, evening dress, wig, ball
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal91. 115. Unknown date
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