HARRIS SCHRANK FINE PRINTS » Honore Daumier

You Tramp (Drown in Your Beer – Billiard Player)

Harris Schrank — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:14:59 +0000

Honore Daumier (1808-1879), Grand gueux va ! je voudrais t’y voir dans la bière! (You Tramp! I would like to see you drown in your beer), 1839-42, lithograph, [with initials in the plate], on wove paper (sur blanc), Plate number 48 from the series Moeurs Conjugales. Reference: Daumier Register 671, second state (of 3). Published in Le Charivari in 1842; this impression is presumably from the album published before the publication of the print in Le Charivari (the sur blanc impressions are on a thicker wove paper, without the distraction of the lettering verso, created in a small limited edition – about 100 – for collectors; the newsprint edition was much larger]. In good condition, with margins, 12 x 8 3/8, the sheet 13 1/2 x 10 1/4 inches.

A very good impression.

Here’s the translation of the text, from the indispensable Daumier Register:

Original Text:
Grand gueux va ! je voudrais t’y voir dans la bière! un avale tout comme ça, qui me laisse toute seule avec mes trois enfants il me donne douze sous, et quand il rentre le soir, il me demande sa monnaie!

Translation:
You tramp! I would like to see you drown in your beer! Leaving me alone like that with my three children, he gives me twelve sous, and when he comes back in the evening, he asks for his change!

Detail

L’Ivrogne

Harris Schrank — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:46:48 +0000

Honore Daumier (1808-1879), L’Ivrogne, lithograph, 1834 [with initials in the plate]. Reference: Daumier Register 189, second state (of 2), with letters verso but before/without text. As published in Charivari. In generally good condition, trimmed rather closely and irregularly, edges browned, 10 7/8 x 8 3/4, the sheet 12 x 9 1/8 inches.

A good impression of this exceedingly rare print.

This is a Daumier print without an explanatory title, thus perhaps justifying my unabashedly quoting the various theories about the print as related by the Daumier Register: ” The title of this print might be: “The drunkard” or “Consequences of a quarrel”. There are different interpretations of this theme by various authors: Champfleury and Delteil are identifying the subject as a quarrel at the Barrière du Maine (today Place Bienvenue). Jean Laran simply finds the print “strange”, while Passeron finds some hidden political significance in it. He assumes that the missing, explanatory text had been suppressed by the censor. Provost suggests that this print shows the victim of an encounter with the police.

There exist only 3 known copies of the “sur blanc” edition. Only few prints originating from the Charivari with the text “au verso” can be found.”

: Detail

Monsieur – Here’s Your Handkerchief

Harris Schrank — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:42:50 +0000

Honore Daumier (1808-1879), Monsieur – Here’s Your Handkerchief, lithograph, 1842. Daumier Register 670, third state (of 3), sur blanc, plate 47 from the series Moeurs Conjugales, published in the album of that title and then in the journal Le Charivari. In good condition, a tear bottom edge margin, with margins, 12 x 8 1/2, the sheet 13 1/2 x 10 inches.

A very good impression, on sur blanc wove paper (from the small collector’s edition, without the letterpress verso as the print was issued in the large Le Charivari edition).

Here’s the translation from the indispensable Daumier Register (note: the soldier is going off to war and the maid runs after him offering him his handkerchief and some advice):

Original Text:
Monsieur …. Monsieur, v’ là vot’ mouchoir…. madame y a mis de l’eau de Cologne et elle vous recommande bien une fois au corps de garde de demander une chauffrette!

Translation:
Monsieur, Monsieur, here’s your handkerchief. Madame has put some Eau de Cologne on it and she said you should ask at the Guard whether you might get a foot warmer.

Detail

Bonsoir Cherie

Harris Schrank — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:17:10 +0000

Honore Daumier (1808-1879), Bonsoir Cherie, lithograph, 1839-42 [with the initials, title, lettering in the plate]. Reference: Delteil, Daumier Register 663, second state (of 3). Plate number 40 from the series Moeurs Conjugales, a sur blanc impression, on wove paper without the lettering verso, 11 1/2 x 8, the sheet 13 1/2 x 10 1/4 inches. In good condition, a tiny fox mark in image, remains of prior hining verso.

A very good impression of this evocative, yet humorous image.

This plate was included in the Album Moeurs Conjugales (1839-1942), and published in the journal Le Charivari in 1842.

Below is a translation of the text copied directly from the indispensable catalogue raisonne, the Daumier Register:

Original Text:
Bonsoir chérie ….. si ton épicier nous voyait ….. mais à cette heure ci, il dort le cornichon!
Translation:
Good night, my darling… if your grocer saw us… but he’s asleep at this time of the night, the ninny!

Meditations on the Moon

Harris Schrank — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:33:55 +0000

Honore Daumier (1808-1879), Madame Anastasie Boujot est de premiere force sue les meditations, lithograph, 1839-42 [with initials in the plate, addresses below]. Reference: Daumier Register 676, plate 53 from Moeurs Conjugales, published in Le Charivari 1842. Second state of 4, before publication in Le Charivari, a sur blanc impression, in very good condition, some tiny nicks left edge, 11 1/2 x 9, the sheet 13 1/2 x 10 1/, archival matting.

A very rich impression of this early state, before publication, on cream wove paper as published in the limited collector’s edition (about 1-200 impresssions).

Dieter and Lilian Noack suggest in their remarkable Daumier Register that although Daumier had yet to marry Alexandrine Dassy he portrayed her in several Moeurs Conjugales lithographs, including this one. Here’s their translation of the printed text:

Original Text:
Madame Anastasie Boujot est de première force sur les méditations, les étoiles la font palpiter, mais la lune lui arrache des larmes. Mr. Mathieu Boujot méprise profondément cet astre, dont la forme présente, lui rappelle ses nombreuses infortunes.
Translation:
Madame Anastasie Boujot is a first-class expert for meditation, the stars make her tremble, but the moon makes her cry. Monsieur Mathieu Boujot on the other hand profoundly dislikes this celestial body whose present form reminds him of his numerous misfortunes.

Detail

At the Fireworks

Harris Schrank — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:40:46 +0000

Honore Daumier (1808-1879), The Fireworks (Le Feu D’Artifice), lithograph, 1840. Reference: Daumier Register 656, second state (of three). Published initially in this state in Actualities as number 14 in this series; then later in state 3 in La Charivari. A sur blanc impression, in very good condition, printed on a cream wove paper, 11 5/8 x 8, the sheet 13 3/4 x 10 inches, archival mounting.

A fine fresh impression of this night scene, with dark charcoal blacks contrasting with the light of the woman lower left and the father.

This sur blanc impression has no lettering verso; it is from the rare collector’s limited edition, made at the time of the publication of the lithograph in newsprint for collectors who wanted the Daumier lithographic composition on a heavier paper than the newsprint, and without the interference of the newsprint in the image.

Taken unabashedly from the invaluable Daumier Register, here’s a translation:

Original Text:
LE FEU D’ARTIFICE.
Un Père est un traiteau donné par la nature.

Translation:
AT THE FIREWORKS DISPLAY.
A father is a draft horse, provided by nature.

Detail

Les Envies de Madame

Harris Schrank — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:07:25 +0000

Honore Daumier (1808-1879), Les Envies de Madame, lithograph, c. 1839-42, plate 32 from the series Moeurs Conjugales. Reference: Daumier Register 655, second state (of 3). In good condition, sur blanc, 12 x 8 1/2, the sheet 13 1/2 x 10 1/2.

A fine impression with the blacks particularly strong and fresh.

This is a sur blanc impression, produced especially for collectors in a limited edition; the paper is a cream wove, and there is no newprint verso as found in the journal impressions.

This print was first published in the journal La Caricature, then later it was selected for publication in La Charivari.

Here is a translation, taken from the Daumier Register:

Original Text:
LES ENVIES DE MADAME.
– Oscar je veux manger du melon ! va m’acheter du melon !
– Mais il est une heure du matin, et nous sommes en Janvier !
– N’importe, Oscar, je veux du melon à tout prix, ou je vais te mordre.

Translation:
THE WHIMS OF A WIFE.
- Oscar, I want to eat a melon! Go and buy a melon for me!
- But it is one o’clock in the morning and we are in January!
- Doesn’t matter, I want a melon at any cost, or else I bite you!

Detail

Un Dernier Toast (A Final Toast)

Harris Schrank — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:39:50 +0000

Honore Daumier (1808-1879), Un Dernier Toast, lithograph, 1843. Reference: Daumier Register 1040, third state (of 4). With letters [signature in the stone]. From the Album Les Canotiers Parisiens, Plate number 18. With text this print appeared in the journal Le Charivari; it was also issued sur blanc (see below) by Pannier and Aubert. In good condition, slight staining outside of image lower left, 11 1/2 x 8, the sheet 13 7/8 x 10 1/2 inches.

A fine clear impression.

This is a sur blanc impression, printed in a small contemporaneous edition for collectors (probably 100-150 impressions only). This form of the print was and generally is preferred over the newprint impressions for a number of reasons – the paper is better quality, one doesn’t see newsprint through the image because there’s no newsprint verso (that’s why they call it sur blanc), and of course it’s just rarer than the newsprint editions – and for all these reasons the sur blancs do have the drawback of being more costly than the newprint versions (although the price difference is minimal given the other differences).

I unabashedly quote the invaluable Daumier Register for a translation:

Original Text:
UN DERNIER TOAST.
Messieurs, ne retournons pas à bord sans porter un dernier toast en l’honneur de deux des objets qui contribuent le plus à charmer notre existence… buvons aux dames et au veau froid…….

Translation:
A LAST TOAST!
Gentlemen, let’s not go back on board without a final toast in honour of the two things which, most of all, bring charm to our lives… let’s drink to the ladies and cold veal!

Detail

Old Scoundrel! (or Old Villain, Vieux Scelerat!)

Harris Schrank — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:01:59 +0000

Honore Daumier (1808-1879), Old Scoundrel! (or Old Villain, Vieux Scelerat!), lithograph, 1839 [with the initials, title, address in the plate]. Reference: Daumier Register 562, second state (of 3), before the address of Bauger, lower left. Published in Caricatures Provisoires, plate 4 from Types Parisiens. In good condition apart from being trimmed at the top just above the borderline and below the lettering, trimmed at the sides (well outside of the borderline) and below just below the lettering, the sheet 10 1/8 x 7 1/2 inches.

A very good clear impression of the relatively rare second state, with the faint lettering on the windows in the rear still quite readable (the words Judgement, and Vente).

This impression is on newsprint, and the lettering from the publication Caricatures Provisoires is verso

The Daumier Register notes this about Daumier’s portrayals of lawyers: According to Arsène Alexandre, Daumier’s first biographer, there was no artist since Rabelais depicting lawyers as mercilessly as Daumier. The series turned out immediately to be a great success with the public of this period. Even today, reprints are found in almost all publications covering Daumier’s productive life as an artist. Daumier used the legal subject in lithographs, wood engravings, sculptures, drawings as well as oil paintings and water colours. Almost all aspects of judicial life were shown in conjunction with human weaknesses found on both sides of the bar.

Les Mannequins Politiques

Harris Schrank — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:58:59 +0000

Honore Daumier (1808-1879), Les Mannequins Politiques, lithograph, 1834. Reference: Daumier Register 96, first state (of 2), on wove paper (no lettering verso).Published in La Caricature, 11/20/1834. In good condition, slight soiling at outer edges, with wide margins, 9 1/2 x 10 1/2, the sheet 10 5/8 x 13 3/4 inches.

Provenance: ex Collection: Vouay, S. Mme (Lugt 2373c, with the red stamp lower right recto)

Here is the explanation of this print, and translation, unabashedly taken verbatim from the invaluable online Daumier Register (with my continuing indebtedness and thanks to Lilian and Dieter Noack):

Two persons, the King and de Rigny (or Dupin?) are holding straw puppets. The caption says: “This game only lasted three days”. The King is holding Marshall Gérard, playing the old political game of shaking straw men at each other. Between July 1834 and March 1835, Louis-Philippe was unable to form a stable government. A provisional government was formed, which lasted only three days.

Original Text:
Les Mannequins Politiques.
Ce jeu n’a duré que trois jours.

Translation:
Political puppets.
The game has lasted only three days.