Artwork
Monsieur Colimard si vous continuez ...
Monsieur Colimard si vous continuez ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1864 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph titled *Monsieur Colimard si vous continuez* captures a moment inside a 19th‑century theater box. The print shows a group of well‑dressed spectators watching a ballet, while a lone dancer onstage strikes a dramatic, toe‑balanced pose. Daumier’s composition juxtaposes the attentive performer with the distracted audience.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on the contrast between public spectacle and private reaction. The audience members, seated in a private box, appear preoccupied or indifferent, their faces rendered with subtle expression. In contrast, the ballerina commands the viewer’s gaze, suggesting Daumier’s commentary on the fleeting nature of attention and the social rituals of theater attendance.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, Daumier employs fine line work to delineate clothing folds, facial lines, and the dancer’s elongated limbs. The medium allows for delicate tonal variations, highlighting the sheen of silk dresses and the crispness of gentlemen’s suits, while preserving the immediacy of a sketch‑like observation.
History & Provenance
Created during Daumier’s prolific period of social satire, the print reflects his ongoing interest in public life. While specific exhibition records are scarce, the lithograph has circulated among collectors of 19th‑century French prints and is now held in several museum collections that focus on graphic arts.
Context
Daumier produced numerous works that scrutinized Parisian leisure spaces, from cafés to theaters. This piece aligns with his broader critique of bourgeois pastimes, illustrating how cultural events served as stages for both performance and social display.
Artist & collection
Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the Revolution of 1830 to the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870.
