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: 29cm
width: 22. 9cm
dimensions - image:
height: 15. 7cm
width: 14. 9cm
dimensions - mounting:
height: 40cm
width: 30cm
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: today
legend - under the image: attorney's office. Registration concerning the test - under the image on the right: i. Lith de delpech
inscription concerning the author - under the image on the left: henry monnier
iconographic description:
an office where several employees and clients are busy. In the center of the room: the tiled stove, on the back wall of the room: a library filled with archive files. Three men are conversing in the foreground, behind them the remains of a frugal meal (bottle, plate) are placed on the stove. 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: "oscar only left a title of the code after having studied it in depth and satisfied in turn his boss and godeschal, who made him undergo preparatory examinations more serious and longer than those of the school of law. Returning from the course where he remained for a short time, he resumed his place at the study, there worked again, he went to the palace sometimes, he was finally at the devotion of the terrible godeschal, until dinner. " [excerpt from a beginning in life, by honoré de balzac]
themes / subjects / places represented:
social subject, morals, office, office worker, stove
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal91. 112. Unknown date
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