Honoré Victorin Daumier. 1808-1879.
"EN BALLON CAPTIF.
LE Mr QUI REGARDE AU SUD. - Diantre!
LE Mr QUI REGARDE A L'EST. - Sapristi."
(THE CAPTIVE BALLOON.
The man who looks to the South: The Deuce.
The man who looks to the East: The Devil.)
1867. Lithograph. Delteil 3605.ii/ii (with letters). 9 5/16 x 8 1/4 (sheet 12 7/16 x 11 1/8). Series: Actualités, (News of the Day), plate 240. Published in Le Charivari November 11, 1867. Text: lower left: A.de Vresse,r.de Rivoli,55.; lower right: Lith.Destouches,r.Paradis.Pre.28 Four paper folds, slight foxing; osheet trimmed. A rare hot air ballon image with literary associations. Initialed in the stone, in the basket. $1,750.
The image shows Prudhomme looking from a hot air balloon into the distance to find out whether war may be approaching. The first proof showing the handwritten text was rejected by the censor. In the published version, one man looks south towards the river Deuse and another man looks north towards Crimea.
Monsieur Joseph Prudhomme is a fictious figure created by Henri Bonaventure Monnier. The figure appeared already before the existence of Le Charivari in such publications as Magasin des Visages and La Galerie des Grotesques. Prudhomme personified the stereotypical complacent, corpulent bourgeois. Monnier described him to the point when he called him “nullité magistrale” (pompous nothingness), entirely self-satisfied with himself and his insignificance.
Henri Bonaventure Monnier (1799 – 1877) was author, draughtsman and lithographer. From 1830 on he worked for “La Caricature”. He also was an actor. One of his roles was Brazier in “La Famille Improvisée” (1831). He created the book “Scènes Populaires Dessinées à la Plume” (1830). In 1830, he wrote together with Vaez the drama "Grandeur et Déécadence de Monsieur Prudhomme". Daumier drew a portrait of Monnier in Delteil 2347.
To order, to request more information or to be placed on the email list, contact Jane Allinson (allinson@earthlink.net) or fax(860) 429-2825.