Author(s):
monnier, henry bonaventure (paris, 07–06–1799 - paris, 03–01–1877 — 3–6–1877), designer-lithographer
delpech, françois seraphin (orléans, 1778 - 1825), publisher
other title: boutades (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: 26cm
width: 34. 4cm
dimensions - picture:
height: 20. 2cm
width: 21. 5cm
dimensions - mounting:
height: 30cm
width: 40cm
description:
colored print
marks, inscriptions, hallmarks:
title of the work - above the image: henry monnier/boutades
registration concerning the test - under the image: paris/delpech, editor, quai voltaire n°3
iconographic description:
a man dressed as ringmaster and wearing a very broad smile presents an armful of sheets of paper covered with drawings. 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: "he knew or guessed the affairs of those around him, while no one could penetrate either his thoughts or his occupations. Although he had thrown his apparent good nature, his constant complacency and his cheerfulness as a barrier between the others and himself, he often allowed the terrible depth of his character to shine through. Often a joke worthy of juvenal, and by which he seemed to take pleasure in flouting the laws, in whipping high society, in convincing it of inconsistency with itself, must have led us to suppose that he held a grudge against the social state, and that there was at the bottom of his life a carefully buried mystery. Themes / subjects / places represented:
subject of society, morals, print, saltimbanque
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal91. 135. Date: Unknown.
Loading...
