L'agréable visite - a Dun. BAL2013.37, En 1827

Author(s): monnier, henry bonaventure (paris, 07–06–1799 - paris, 03–01–1877 — 3–6–1877), designer senefelder et cie, designer-lithographer production date: in 1827 dating in century: 19th century type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print name(s): print materials and techniques: lithography, vellum paper, watercolor dimensions - artwork: height: 20. 8cm width: 26cm description: colored print marks, inscriptions, hallmarks: title of the work - under the image: the pleasant visit / to dun author inscription - below the image on the right: senefelder lith. Inscription concerning the author - under the image on the left: henry monnier iconographic description: in a domestic interior, a couple is seated at a table, the four-poster bed is visible in the background. On the table are liqueurs, fruit platters and bottles of wine. A man with a stern expression, a package under his arm, comes and hands over a note. The couple seems embarrassed by this impromptu visit. Is it a creditor coming to claim what he owes? 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: "the english woman rang, europe was not far away. -- oh! exclaimed europe, a man in madame's room, and who is not a gentleman!. What horror!-- did he give you thirty thousand francs to be introduced there?-- no, madame; because, between us, we don't have them let's not. . . And europe began to shout at the thief in such a harsh way that the frightened banker went to the door, from where europe rolled him down the stairs. . . - big scoundrel, she shouted at him, you are denouncing me to my mistress! to the thief! to the thief! [extract from splendors and miseries of courtesans, by honoré de balzac] themes / subjects / places represented: social subject, morals, meals, alcohol, domestic interior, accounting document mode of acquisition: purchase institution: maison de balzac inventory number: bal2013. 37. Date: En 1827.