Author(s):
monnier, henry bonaventure (paris, 07–06–1799 - paris, 03–01–1877 — 3–6–1877), designer
delpech, françois seraphin (orléans, 1778 - 1825), printer-lithographer
dating in century: 19th century
type(s) of object(s): graphic arts, print
name(s): print
materials and techniques: watercolor, vellum paper, lithography
dimensions - artwork:
height: 27cm
width: 35. 3cm
dimensions - image:
height: 14. 6cm
width: 15. 6cm
dimensions - mounting:
height: 40cm
width: 30cm
description:
plate from the moral and philosophical sketches series
marks, inscriptions, hallmarks:
inscription - above the line on the right: "1" under the line on the left: "henry monnier" and on the right: "i. Lith. De delpech"
caption - under the image: mrs. Ledru, i have become terribly powerful. Iconographic description:
in a petty bourgeois interior characterized by modest engravings hanging on the wall, a man boasts in front of his wife while putting on his national guard uniform. 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: "crevel hesitated for a long time: it was a question of leaving this famous national guard uniform in which he strutted around the tuileries, believing himself to be as military as the emperor; but ambition, advised by madame marneffe, was stronger than vanity. " [excerpt from la cousine bette, by honoré de balzac]
themes / subjects / places represented:
subject of society, morals, national guard, bourgeois, domestic interior
mode of acquisition: purchase
institution: maison de balzac
inventory number: bal 98-157. Date: Unknown.
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