“Well...as the saying goes, like a genuine string of pearls, .... only some of them have become unthreaded, that's all!,” plate 9 from Coquetterie
Medium
Lithograph in black on off-white wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 23.5 × 18.9 cm (9 5/16 × 7 1/2 in.); Sheet: 33.5 × 24.9 cm (13 1/4 × 9 13/16 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
141894
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier, a master of 19th-century French caricature, captures the essence of coquettish charm in this lithograph, plate 9 from his *Coquetterie* series, created in 1840. The witty title—“Well...as the saying goes, like a genuine string of pearls, .... only some of them have become unthreaded, that's all!”—hints at a playful scene of feminine vanity, likely depicting a woman excusing a mishap with her jewelry in a flirtatious manner. Daumier, renowned for his sharp social satire during the July Monarchy, used such works to poke fun at bourgeois pretensions and gender dynamics in Parisian...
About the Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier · 1808–1879
Honoré-Victorin Daumier (1808-1879) was a prolific French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor whose works offered incisive commentary on the social and political life of 19th-century France. Known as the 'Michelangelo of Caricature,' Daumier produced over 4,000 lithographs, 500 paintings, 1,000 drawings, and 100 sculptures during his lifetime. His biting political satire led to his imp...