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), designer-lithographer
giraldon and bovinet, editor
other title: recreation (series title)
dating in century: 19th century
type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print
name(s): print
materials and techniques: vellum paper, watercolor, lithography
dimensions - artwork:
height: 23cm
width: 31. 3cm
dimensions - image:
height: 14. 7cm
width: 17cm
description:
colored print
marks, inscriptions, hallmarks:
wet stamp - t. H. : monogram a m and 2 r next to each other?
title of the work - above the image: recreations
number - above the image on the right: pl. 2
caption - in the image, at the bottom: the scene is in rome. Legend - in the image, bottom left: agrippinain the image, bottom right: nero
inscription concerning the author - under the image on the right: litho bernard nd des victoires, 16. Under the image on the left: henry monnier
registration concerning the event - published by giraldon bovinet, passage vivienne, n°26
iconographic description:
the scene takes place on the stage of a theater, the given play is an ancient drama. The actors are in rehearsals and taking a break. Costume designers and helpers come to readjust their costumes or offer them a treat (or snuff). In the background, extras wait, they wear the uniforms of roman soldiers and the eagle of their legion. In the left part of the composition stands a statue probably representing a roman general, at its feet a beautiful young woman playing agrippina, assisted by a costume designer who fixes the fibula of her palla. In the right part of the composition, the actor playing nero is potbellied, his appearance is not very august. A spectator or patron dressed in bourgeois attire hands him a small open case and with a gesture seems to make him a recommendation. 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: "a quarter of an hour later, the city dweller stopped at the bottom of the steps of the chamber of deputies, on this side of the pont de la concorde which leads to discord. -- i thought the chamber was unaffordable. Said the southerner, surprised to find himself in the middle of the large hall of the pas-perdus. -- it is according to, replied bixiou, materially speaking, it costs thirty cents for a cabriolet; politically, we spend something more the swallows thought, said a poet, that we had built the arc-de-triumph of the etoile for them, we think, we artists, that we built this monument to compensate for the non-values of the théâtre-français and to make us laugh, but these actors cost much more, and do not give us any; not every day for our money " [excerpt from les comédiens sans le savoir, by honoré de balzac]
themes / subjects / places represented:
subject of society, morals, theater, show costume
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal91. 59. Date: Unknown.
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