Embarras de soi-même, BAL98-64e, Henry Monnier, 1825

Author(s): monnier, henry bonaventure (paris, 07–06–1799 - paris, 03–01–1877 — 3–6–1877), designer villain, françois (buire-au-bois, in 1790 - in 1852), designer-lithographer gihaut frères, publisher other title: general exploitation of the fashions and ridiculousness of paris and london (series title) production date: 1825 dating in century: 19th century type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print name(s): print materials and techniques: lithography, vellum paper, watercolor dimensions - artwork: height: 34. 1cm width: 23. 3cm dimensions - picture: height: 21. 4cm width: 14cm description: colored print marks, inscriptions, hallmarks: number - above the image on the right: n°4 caption - under the image: self-embarrassment. Inscription concerning the author - under the image on the left: henry monnier inscription concerning the author - under the image on the right: lith de villain, rue de sèvres, 23 registration concerning the proof - under the image on the right: chez gihaut frères, publishers. Iconographic description: standing straight and erect in his shabby coat, a gentleman seems to be waiting for something. Unshaven, his cane under his arm, he holds his hat in his hand. Her short wig denotes an out-of-fashion dress sense. 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 baudoyers still enjoyed a thousand crowns of income, after having endowed their son. Monsieur mitral, a man with a sinister wig, a face the color of the seine and where two spanish tobacco eyes shone, cold as a well rope, and smelling of mice, kept his fortune a secret" [les employés, by honoré de balzac] themes / subjects / places represented: subject of society, morals, cane, wig institution: maison de balzac inventory number: bal98-64e. Date: 1825.