Author(s):
monnier, henry bonaventure (paris, 07–06–1799 - paris, 03–01–1877 — 3–6–1877), designer
ardit, e. , designer-lithographer
gaugain, henri-armand pierre, editor
other title: galerie théâtrale (title of the series)
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: 30. 1cm
dimensions - image:
height: 17. 2cm
width: 16. 3cm
dimensions - mounting:
height: 50cm
width: 40cm
description:
colored print
marks, inscriptions, hallmarks:
title of the work - above the image: galerie théâtrale
legend - under the image: job manager. Inscription concerning the author - under the image on the left: henry monnier under the image on the right: lith by e. Ardit
number - above the image on the left: pl. 13
registration concerning the test - under the legend: chez h. Gaugain, rue vivienne, n°2 and chez e. Ardit, rue de la monnaie, n°11
iconographic description:
in the luxurious foyer of a theater (or an opera house) a man greets two ladies. One, very plump, dressed in a loose pink dress trimmed with flowers and ribbons, smiles at him. The other, looking very thin and withdrawn, does not greet him. The door pediments and the walls of the room are decorated with bas reliefs and stucco figures. 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: "lucien imagined walking during the intermission in the foyer seeing that everyone was going there. At first none of the people who had come to madame d'espard's dressing room greeted him or seemed to pay attention to him, which seemed very extraordinary to the provincial poet. Then from the châtelet, to which he tried to hold on, watched him from the corner of his eye, and constantly avoided him after having convinced himself, by seeing the men wandering around the foyer, that his outfit was quite ridiculous, [. . . ] so this is my kingdom! he said to himself, this is the world that i must tame. He returned home on foot, thinking about everything that the people who had come to pay court to madame d'espard had said; their manners, their gestures, the manner. To enter and leave, everything came back to his memory with astonishing fidelity. [excerpt from lost illusions, by honoré de balzac]
themes / subjects / places represented:
subject of society, morals, theater, salute - reverence
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal89. 99. Date: Unknown.
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