Estampes

Henry MONNIER

Matériaux et techniques : Lithographie

Description : Henry Monnier produced numerous lithographs, capturing his contemporaries as they went about their business, at the Stock Exchange or at the bathroom, at meals or on walks. Through his colorful drawings, he shows a certain tenderness towards the social types he represents: the mockery is light and attracts sympathy from the viewer. The detail of the costumes and the balance between the characters would make us forget the subject of the drawing, without the presence of a short sentence affixed to each image which reveals its meaning.

« Who has not noticed that there, like in all regions of Paris, this is a way of being that reveals who you are, what you do, where you come from, and what you want? »

Honoré de Balzac Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes

Residents of the Chaussée d'Antin, the Marais, the Suburbs

Henry Monnier compares the dress of the residents of three neighborhoods: the rich bourgeoisie of Chaussée d’Antin, the lesser bourgeoisie of the Marais and the working class of the suburbs. Balzac was the first writer to use descriptive style not only as setting for his work, but as a determinant of action and plot.

(Pour des raisons de conservation, les estampes d’Henry Monnier sont présentées par roulement.)