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: little human delights (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: 22. 4cm
width: 28. 9cm
dimensions - image:
height: 16cm
width: 16cm
description:
colored print
marks, inscriptions, hallmarks:
title of the work - above the image: little human felicities
legend - under the image: old age. Holidays, family dinners, children, grandchildren, 10th. Inscription concerning the author - under the image on the right: i. Lith de delpechunder the image on the left: henry monnier
iconographic description:
in a plush and comfortable interior, an old man sits in an armchair. He is surrounded by his descendants. A young woman (his daughter?) sits on a bench beside him. A young boy leans on the armrest of his chair. A little girl has just given him a bouquet of flowers, the old man leans towards her and stretches his hand towards her face. Near the door, a servant is standing. 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 rigor of the law is so great on the rights of natural children, says the recent licensee, jealous to show his knowledge, that under the terms of a judgment of the court of cassation of july 7, 1817, the natural child cannot claim anything from his natural ancestor, not even maintenance. So you see that the kinship of the natural child has been extended. The law pursues the natural child even in his legitimate descendants, because it assumes that the gifts made to the grandchildren are addressed to the natural son by interposition of person. This results from articles 757, 908 and 911 of the civil code, therefore, the royal court of paris, on december 26 of last year, reduced a legacy made to the legitimate child of the natural son. The grandfather who, certainly, as grandfather, was as foreign to the natural grandson as the doctor, insofar as one can be in relation to ursula. " [excerpt from ursule mirouët, by honoré de balzac]
themes / subjects / places represented:
subject of society, morals, old man, child, family
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal91. 94. Unknown date
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