Author(s):
monnier, henry bonaventure (paris, 07–06–1799 - paris, 03–01–1877 — 3–6–1877), designer
bernard, charles louis (paris, 29–06–1769 - paris, 11–09–1848), printer-lithographer
giraldon-bovinet, editor
other title: les grisettes (title of the series)
date of production: 1827
type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print
name(s): print
materials and techniques: vellum paper, watercolor, lithography
dimensions - artwork:
height: 30. 5cm
width: 22. 4cm
dimensions - image:
height: 13. 6cm
width: 10cm
dimensions - mounting:
height: 40cm
width: 30cm
description:
plate 15 from the series "les grisettes" by henry monnier, paris, giraldon and bovinet, 1827
marks, inscriptions, hallmarks:
inscription - above the image on the left: "grisettes" and on the right: "pl. 15" under the image on the left: "henry monnier" and on the right: "lith. De bernard" under the letter in the middle: "published by giraldon bovinet, passage vivienne, n°26
caption - below the image: gods! are you bad topic!
iconographic description:
a couple sits on large rocks on a country road. The young woman cringes at the haste of her companion who leans towards her and grabs her arm. 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 morals of their time often inspired the two artists in parallel on numerous subjects as we can see in the following extract: "he kissed his daughter on the forehead, took her hands, squeezed them, showed his joy with cuddles which seemed almost servile to marguerite; during the dinner balthazar saw only her, he looked at her with the eagerness, with the attention, the liveliness that a lover displays for his mistress: was she doing a movement? he tried to guess her thoughts, her desire, and got up to serve her; he made her ashamed, he brought to her care a sort of youth which contrasted with her anticipated old age. But, to these cajoleries marguerite contrasted the picture of current distress, either with a word of doubt, or with a look that she cast on the empty shelves of the dressers in this dining room. [excerpt from the search for the absolute, by honoré de balzac, 1834]
themes / subjects / places represented:
subject of society, morals, grisette, campaign
mode of acquisition: purchase
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal 98-87. Date: 1827.
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