Artwork
Vous m'excuserez: je vais me mettre a table ...
Vous m'excuserez: je vais me mettre a table ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1852 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph presents a compact interior scene in which two men converse. One figure leans against a low railing, his arm extended in a sweeping gesture, while the other, dressed in a formal, somewhat stiff suit, stands hunched, his gaze directed upward. The limited space and the textured background focus attention on the exchange between the pair.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a moment of dialogue, contrasting the animated, explanatory posture of the first man with the restrained, perhaps bewildered stance of his companion. The juxtaposition of expressive movement and a more constrained figure suggests a commentary on differing attitudes or social roles within a private setting.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, Daumier employed the traditional stone‑based process: drawing directly onto a prepared limestone slab with greasy media, then treating the surface so that ink adheres only to the drawn lines. The print’s bold contours and textured shading are characteristic of Daumier’s rapid, incisive line work, which conveys both immediacy and detail.
History & Provenance
Created during Daumier’s prolific period of satirical prints, the lithograph reflects his interest in everyday encounters and social observation. While specific exhibition or ownership records are limited, the piece forms part of the larger body of work that established Daumier’s reputation as a keen chronicler of 19th‑century French life.
Context
Daumier’s prints frequently targeted political figures and fashionable excesses, using humor and exaggeration to critique contemporary society. This interior scene, though more intimate, continues that approach by highlighting character through posture and attire, offering a subtle social observation within a domestic environment.
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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.
