News by the Daumier Register

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DAUMIER AUCTION

The prestigious auction House Kornfeld in Berne, Switzerland is planning to sell an important Daumier collection from the Swiss collector Lotar Neumann. Mr. Neumann had started purchasing his lithographs in the mid 1960s. One of the many highlights will be a small oil painting as well as some of the very early lithographs by Daumier. The auction will be held on June 6, 2008 conveniently timed during the Art Basel show.

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DAUMIER IN PARIS - AN EXHIBITION NOT TO BE MISSED!

One of the most significant exhibitions during Daumier's bicentennial is presently taking place in Paris:

Bibliothèque nationale de France, site Richelieu, 58 rue Richelieu, Paris 2e. (March 4 to June 9, 2008.)

Visitors will have an extraordinary occasion to admire 220 of the most significant prints by Daumier out of more than 4000 lithographs held by the BnF. Some of them are unique, carrying handwritten comments by Daumier and have not been shown publicly for decades. An extraordinary exhibition, which we can highly recommend. An excellent catalogue with great photography and a poster are being offered.

At the same time, a parallel exhibition at the BnF is comparing Daumier to modern caricaturists:

"Daumier et ses héritiers", Bibliothèque nationale de France, site François-Mitterand/Allée Julien Cain, Paris. (March 4 to May 4, 2008.)

A great occasion to visit Paris in the Spring !

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NEW DAUMIER BOOK - A RECOMMENDATION

There are coffee table books, there are research books difficult to digest for mortals without a PhD in art history, and there are those few and rare highly informative and well researched books on Daumier which offer in-depth information and non repetitive, or little known background research with just a few pictures.

Recently, a new book appeared on the market by Michel Melot, Art historian and former director at the Bibliothèque publique d’information at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, who still holds numerous important positions in French cultural life. The book’s title is:

DAUMIER, L’Art et la République, ISBN 978-2-251-44339-3, published by Les Belles Lettres/Archimbaud, Paris 2008

It guides the Daumier amateur through new aspects of the rather unsuccessful 1878 Drouot exhibition, provocatively calling the first section of his book ‘Comment Daumier devint un inconnu’, a question certainly worth researching. The second section describes Daumier’s career from the early beginning up to his time at the ‘Boulevard’, again a fascinating and in many aspects new research. The third and final section deals with Daumier’s life as a celebrity, especially the period after his death and his acceptance beyond the borders of France.

To read such a fresh and in-depth publication about Daumier and his oeuvre is unusual and we would like to highly recommended it to all Daumier friends, be they collectors, Museum curators or University teachers. In this moment there exists only one caveat: you need to be able to read French. An English or German translation in this moment is unfortunately not yet available.

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CALL FOR PAPERS

"Law and Humanities" journal invites submissions for a special edition to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Daumier's birth. Topics to be covered will include Daumier as he relates to: law and the visual image; caricature and satire; France and the civil code; French legal history; art and freedom of expression.

Contributions from researchers and lawyers interested to publish in this journal are kindly asked to contact:

Felicity Howlett

Hart Publishing Ltd

16C Worcester Place

Oxford OX1 2JW

Telephone: 01865 517530

Fax: 01865 510710

Email: felicity@hartpub.co.uk <mailto:felicity@hartpub.co.uk>

Web: hartpub.co.uk

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RATAPOIL - AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY

(Photo Jahrbuch der Berliner Museen 2004)

A group of researchers from fields as far apart as Art History, Sculptural Restoration, Computer Tomography and Nuclear Analysis joined forces in 2004 in order to find answers to some basic questions concerning Daumier’s RATAPOIL sculpture, which have been occupying collectors and curators for years: For what reason do two obviously different versions of Ratapoil plasters exist, and what does the “inner life” of each plaster tell us about their origin and possible change over time?

The “Jahrbuch der Berliner Museen” of 2004 (Gebr. Mann Verlag, Berlin) published the relevant findings (in German only) in their annual edition on pages 249 – 283 under the title

„Honoré Daumiers RATAPOIL und die Untersuchungen der beiden Gipsexemplare”. The authors responsible for the study were: J. de Caso, University of California Berkeley; B. Maaz, Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin; E. Papet, Musée d’Orsay, Paris; A. Badde, Sculpt. Restoration Berlin; A. Cascio, Sculpt. Restoration, Paris; B. Illerhaus, BAM Berlin; D. Kushel, Buffalo State College.

The outcome is an extensive, photographically documented report of greatest interest to Daumier amateurs and researchers alike, and especially to the proud owners of one of the 55 (plus 2) original Ratapoil bronze sculptures. Unfortunately, there are only very few printed copies of this report available, which can however be purchased using following information: Jahrbuch der Berliner Museen, Neue Folge 46, 2004, Gebr. Mann Verlag Berlin 2005

Informationen: ISBN 3-7861-2405-1 and ISSN 0075.

The first section of the report covers the historical, well-known background, acknowledging the initial existence of only one unbaked clay model, which served as basis for the later plaster model(s) and consequently their bronze reproductions. It was agreed that the complexity of the plaster models indicated that Daumier may probably have been assisted by an experienced sculptor. Possible candidates would have been his sculptor friend A. Préault or, more likely, A.V. Geoffroy-Dechaume (as previously suggested by Gobin). It was he who had assisted Daumier already in 1850-1852 in creating plaster models of the “Fugitifs”.

The report notes on p. 254, footnote 22 (but this still needs further confirmation) that the original clay model may still have been part of the Henry Bing Collection in Paris about 1930, as mentioned in the MOMA exhibition catalogue and photographed as a bronze version. After that date no traces of the clay remained. If however Alexandre’s observations from 1888 are correct, Daumier, being aware of the fragility of the clay, may have decided as early as 1851 to have a plaster version done in order to preserve a more solid copy of his model. This first plaster can thus be considered an ‘original model’. It is consequently well possible that Bing owned a plaster, but most likely not the clay model.

The creation of the clay can with some certainty be dated around March 1851 (and not 1850 as suggested by Gobin and Cherpin) when Michelet saw it in Daumier's studio. After that it was hidden during the Napoleon III era (1852-1870) and only as late as 1878/79 did the first plaster appear in an exhibition. After Daumier’s death it was given to Geoffroy-Dechaume to be exhibited again in 1888 together with Dantan’s sculptures. In the same year Arsène Alexandre published a fotomechanical reproduction, an autotypie of a photography of the plaster in his Daumier biography. A first order for a bronze sculpture followed in 1890/91 from A. Dayot for the State Collection, now at the Orsay. For this purpose, Geoffroy-Dechaume’s plaster was transferred on April 17, 1891 to Jean Pouzadoux, a specialist in this field, who produced a plaster copy from the original Dechaume model. This second plaster would then be used as a basis for the bronze ordered with the Siot-Decauville foundry.

Up to 1891 it seems that Art Historians agreed on the existence of only one plaster. More recent findings however (Gobin in 1952 and others) suggest the existence of two plasters, strikingly similar and both of impeccable provenance. The authors went to great length in explaining that Pouzadoux’s plaster copy may have been preserved, thus representing the second plaster model. Both served as basis for the various later bronze editions. A number of questions immediately arise: is one plaster a copy of the other? Which was the first one? Which version was closest to the original clay modeled by Daumier himself?

Unfortunately both plasters had repeatedly been repaired and partially remodeled over time after having been used as models for the later bronze editions. Traces of this “treatment” are still clearly visible today.

The report also came to the conclusion that in all probability two Siot-Decauville bronzes (au sable) existed in the first edition: one sample from 1891 was ordered by the State and kept at the Orsay and a second one was delivered in 1896 to the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Marseille, Daumier’s city of birth. An additional second edition of 20 pieces was produced by the same foundry in 1892. It seems unclear whether for this series the chef modèle was used or Pouzadoux’s second plaster.

.

The study group decided on the use of two different examination techniques: Computer Tomography as a three dimensional screening method for the research of the physical structure and of possible changes in the plasters, suggesting that future projects could eventually link each plaster to its respective bronze copy. Differences which had occurred during the molding / casting process could thus be made visible. This method was applied for the “Geneva version”.

The other technique used was Xeroradiography. It was applied for the second plaster, the "Buffalo version".

1)

The Geneva Version

This plaster is covered by an isolating protective wax coating applied by Valsuani´s prepatory work for his 1960 bronze edition (...). It has since

yellowed / darkened. Traces of the tools are still visible on the surface of the plaster. The entire plaster surface is covered by seamlines stemming from the casting process in a small-piece mold. Differences in surface levels of these sections suggest that the small-piece mold had been produced directly on the original clay model.

Images from Computed Tomography showed that the head, which was originally hollow, had been attached to the neck and chest with various metallic rods, which were encased in an initially moist plaster block. Once the block had dried up it served as a support to the head and the fragile neck sections. While most of the chest area is hollow, the legs, initially also shaped as empty hulls, were also supported with metal rods during the manufacturing process. They were inserted into an added, moist, plaster filling, which after some time dried up and gave the legs a rigid support. The walking stick (or cudgel) had accidentally broken off during previous handlings (about 1984) but was refitted. Various damages at the feet are still visible, possibly caused by Valsuani’s work or may have happened during transport.

2)

The Buffalo Version

This plaster served as the cast model (Giesserform) for the Siot-Decauville bronze sculptures. It is still occasionally assumed in the literature that the Buffalo plaster may be considered the model taken from the original clay. The plaster was purchased in 1954 in Paris for the Albright Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo. This model had also been used by Rudier in 1929 for the edition of 20 samples, as noted by E. Fuchs in “Der Maler Daumier”. Both Rudier and Siot-Decauville were experts in the “au sable”-method , but not in the “lost wax” process. Yet, strange as it may seem, Ratapoil-sculptures produced by Rudier in the lost wax process do exist (e.g. Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt), a fact which has been confirmed by the author's own research (note by the Daumier Register: research showed that Rudier's "Louis XIV" for example was also done after the lost wax process; this for Rudier atypical work was presumably sub-contracted to another foundry).

The Buffalo plaster is covered with tan layers, heavily mottled (Schellack) and with varying deep brown stains. Like in the Geneva version, traces left behind by tools are clearly visible and numerous corrections and adjustments have been added to the plaster over the years. Some of the lines found are reminding of a textile imprint. The moustache/beard, a characteristic sign of recognition of Ratapoil’s physiognomy, has become less pointed, ‘heavier’ and shorter than in the Geneva version. The surface of the later bronze samples showed numerous changes and “softenings”. Xeroradiographic images revealed that entire sections of the legs and the beard had been removed, reconstructed and refitted. In total some twelve iron and steel rods were detected inside Ratapoil. The photography clearly shows the difference of material between the original structural support and the one added at a later date. A very large part of the figure has been “rearmed” at various occasions to ascertain its structural integrity.

When a plaster model is molded from the original unbaked clay model, the latter will customarily be destroyed. The new plaster model will show on its surface traces of seams. Because the surface of the Buffalo plaster has been worked over frequently, hardly any of these seams are visible. Only one small seam can be seen, which is also visible in the same position on the Geneva model. Thus a final proof of the Buffalo plaster being the original mold from Daumier’s clay model is no longer possible (contrary to Wasserman’s opinion).

Conclusion

The report comes to the following result: The Geneva version with its numerous small sections must have been molded on a ‘flexible’ material and can certainly not be considered a surmoulage from a previous plaster. The

Geneva version cannot definitely be considered a surmoulage from a previous plaster, as the numerous small sections of the mold in which the plaster was cast were possibly formed directly on a `flexible´ material, i.e. unbaked clay.

The surface of the Buffalo version has unfortunately been reworked repeatedly at so many occasions that it is impossible to confirm that it was molded from the original clay.

When comparing the plasters to the various bronze editions one will observe that some details from the original Siot-Decauville version, which showed up in the Buffalo plaster, had disappeared in the Rudier bronzes of 1929. (This observation differs with Wasserman’s on p. 169) The 15 Valsuani bronzes produced in 1960 from the Geneva plaster still show these details initially visible in the 1890 version. It seems that the cleaner and relatively untouched surface of the Geneva version may indeed reproduce / represent Daumier’s original clay design.

Assuming that both plasters have initially been molded from the identical base/mold would it be safe to assume that both plasters had initially been cast in the same mold? Further research into Geoffroy-Dechaume’s oeuvre may possibly answer this question. There is however no doubt that both plaster figures have been modeled with great craftsmanship and expertise and have served as models for later bronze editions.

Finally it should be pointed out that the Museum’s report not only supplies in-depth information going far beyond the above observations , but shows also some highly interesting and ‘revealing’ photography.

We also wish to remind all Daumier amateurs that the Kunsthaus in Zürich, Switzerland, starting on December 7, 2007 will open an exciting Daumier bicentennial exhibition, where the Geneva Ratapoil will be exhibited. The lithographic counterparts of this statue can also be seen, as well as a large selection of drawings and a rare lithographic stone.

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INTERNET PRESENCE OF THE DAUMIER REGISTER IN THE GERMAN PROMETHEUS DATABASE

We are proud to announce that the PROMETHEUS Archive (http://www.prometheus-bildarchiv.de/) has integrated the complete Daumier Register database into their system. This way all the Daumier lithographs and wood engravings which we described and illustrated in our online work catalogue will be accessible also through PROMETHEUS.

PROMETHEUS is a database hosting presently 406'000 images from 37 databases of cultural background aiming at research and studies. The institution is strictly non-commercial and offers access to now 27 universities and another 44 institutions as well as 5'500 private users, covering most of the art history and archaeological institutions in the German speaking area. The integrated databases originate from university institutes, museums, research institutes and private archives. PROMETHEUS offers tools for the use of images in presentations and lectures.

We are very happy about the Daumier Register's presence in this important platform, reaching an ever increasing number of art researchers.

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AUFTRITT VOM DAUMIER REGISTER IN DER PROMETHEUS DATENBANK

Mit grosser Befriedigung geben wir bekannt, dass das PROMETHEUS Bildarchiv (http://www.prometheus-bildarchiv.de/) die gesamte Daumier Register Datenbank in ihr System integriert hat. Es werden somit sämtliche Daumier Lithographien und Daumier Holzschnitte, die wir in unserem digitalen Werkverzeichnis beschrieben und abgebildet haben, auch über die Prometheus Datenbank einsehbar sein.

PROMETHEUS ist eine Datenbank, in der derzeit 37 kulturwissenschaftliche Datenbanken mit 406.000 Bildern für Forschung und Lehre unter einer gemeinsamen Oberfläche erschlossen sind. Prometheus ist strikt nicht-kommerziell und bietet derzeit allen Mitgliedern von 27 Universitäten und weiteren 44 Instituten direkten Zugriff auf das Bildarchiv. Daneben haben über 5.500 Nutzer persönlichen Zugang zur Datenbank, die zur Zeit bereits fast alle kunsthistorischen und archäologischen Institute im deutschsprachigen Raum abgedeckt! Die integrierten Datenbanken stammen von Universitätsinstituten, Forschungseinrichtungen, Museen und privaten Archiven. PROMETHEUS ist eine Plattform für den Austausch und den virtuellen Zusammenschluss von kulturhistorischen Bilddatenbanken und bietet Hilfen für die Verwendung der Bilder beispielsweise in Form der Speicherung von Suchergebnissen und durch Werkzeuge für die Präsentation im Unterricht.

Es freut uns sehr, dass das Daumier Register auf diese Art eine noch grössere Verbreitung erfährt!

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ALL STONES ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS...

It is a strange architect who uses lithographic stones to pave the ground of a home. If it is even an ardent Daumier collector and art dealer, one wonders even more. Yet this is exactly what happened in the 1940s. The collector was the father of J. Frapier who had owned a certain number of stones which were hidden during the German occupation until 1945 in his house in Royan, France. They were later used for construction work at his villa and thus disappeared...

This story (told by Roger Passeron in his 1968 Blois exhibition catalogue on page 11) and the fact that we had found only very few remaining lithographic stones by Daumier enticed us to look into this fascinating medium and working tool. After all, of the approx. 4000 lithographs done by Daumier there ought to be plenty of stones around. We started looking.

Over a period of 8 years we were able to locate only about twenty stones of which the largest collection, 14 stones attributed to Daumier, were originally at the Musée Cantini in Marseille and were now supposed to be at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Marseille. Two of them were shown in a Daumier exhibition in 1947 together with an old lithographic press. To our knowledge, only two stones are presently in private collections, while the remaining four are spread in museums such as Boston, Bibliothèque Nationale, Hammer Collection etc.

On December 20, 2007 we were informed by the curator of the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Marseille that indeed the 14 stones mentioned by Cherpin were not part of the Museum’s collection, nor did they belong to the Musée Cantini in Marseille. He believes that these stones were in 1947 most likely part of a private collection and they may have been lent on exhibition during the period described by Cherpin. We are presently trying to collect more information about the whereabouts of these 14 stones.

An article in the 1948 edition of ‘Art et Livres de Provence’, Marseille, p.155/156 describes with some consternation that several of the 14 stones of the Cantini Museum showed remarkable differences in text or printer’s address to the final print published in the Charivari. It seemed difficult to ascertain the reason for these differences and so far the Museum has not found a satisfactory answer to this question.

Let us review for a moment the practice of Daumier’s printing process.

1) Daumier drew directly on the stone. The stone was then hand-delivered to the editor/printer.

2) The printer added a text (which was composed by a journalist). A few prints on “papier mince” were done, one of which was sent for approval to the censor’s office.

3) After approval by the censor, one or two prints were done separately on “papier Chine” for special collectors (with or without text), who cherished the highest printing quality available.

4) In case the editor considered to later use the stone for an album or for single prints, an unknown but relatively small number of prints was done on wove paper (sur blanc) and put aside.

5) Finally the stone was used to print those lithographs which were to appear in the Charivari newspaper.

6) Once the printing process was finished, the drawing on the lithographic stone was erased by hand so the stone could be used again for a new lithograph. In the course of this process, the stones lost their thickness over time from initially some 10 cm to about 3 cm until they became too thin and risked to break. They were finally discarded. This explains why hardly any of the original stones carrying the original image produced by Daumier are left at the present time.

We suspect however that between points 4 and 5 there may have been a step which possibly has been overlooked so far. It has to do with the number of prints executed from the stone:

a) We know from the information contained in www.daumier.org that the Charivari during its heyday averaged a daily output of more than 2000 papers.

--> It would indeed seem strange to assume that the same lithographic stone was used for printing on papier mince, papier chine, sur blanc as well as for newsprint.

b) The editor, Mr. Aubert, would only know AFTER the appearance of a print in his newspaper whether the lithograph was successful with the public. Popular lithographs were reprinted on a better quality paper (wove paper) sur blanc on single sheets and/or sold in albums to collectors at a high price.

--> After having used the stone for 2000 or more newsprints, the lithographic stone must have shown signs of wear and loss of printing quality. It would therefore hardly seem plausible that the printer would have used the same used-up stone for a high quality print on wove paper to be sold in an expensive album.

We therefore must assume - and this was confirmed by several printing specialists we recently contacted - that the ‘original stone’ was marked on the side with a colour code for later identification and set aside in a depot right from the beginning as a reserve for an eventual use at a later date.

Since the early 19th century printers had developed ways to produce copies from an original lithographic stone. The system, described in detail by. F. Brunner in his "Handbook of Graphic Reproduction Processes" was called transfer stone or autographic stone. A sheet of rubber, special transfer-paper or even animal skin was prepared in such a way that a copy could be made from the ‘original stone’ and transferred onto a second ‘autographic stone’.

The pressure of a daily newspaper production process must have been the reason for a certain negligence in the details. Differences in size of the print which appeared on the two stones as well as a certain loss in print quality seemed to be almost unavoidable. This is clearly visible when comparing the stone with a sur blanc print and a Charivari print of the same lithograph. It occurred that sometimes parts of the address on the newspaper print (located underneath the image) looked faded or slightly “squashed”, a typical result of the use of a transfer stone.

Going back to the observations of the Musée Cantini mentioned above, the answer now seems evident: The editor/printer Aubert may have lent (against a fee) the original stone to another printer who wanted to use the image to produce a separate album on wove paper. Naturally he would have replaced Aubert's address with his own; he may also have changed parts of the caption to fit his purpose.

The above explanations show how important it is to carefully evaluate various criteria of a lithographic stone offered on the art market. Is it the original or an "autographic stone"? Or could it even be a recent copy that has been used to do a modern reprint? In our opinion an old autographic stone should still be considered a collectors item, although it is not an original (like the mother-stone).

The age of a print on a lithographic stone should be examined. Nowadays an experienced lithographer can easily transfer an old Daumier print as an (almost) identical image onto an old lithographic stone (German: Umdruckverfahren). Some of the quality will possibly get lost and some details may appear “squashed”. For demonstration purposes such an experiment was done by Dr. J. Albrecht in his publication for the 1996 Daumier Exhibition in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. (p. 28/29) where he did a (clearly marked) reprint of DR 763 from a transfer stone.

Obviously, the price difference between originals (mother stones) and copy stones (autographic stones) is remarkable. An original Daumier lithographic stone must be considered being as rare as a drawing by Daumier, since that is exactly what it represents. Depending on the importance or beauty of the subject it can easily reach a six figure price level. The last sale of one of these stones we were able to trace back was sold for 40’000 Swiss Francs in the 1960’s at an auction (equivalent at that time’s exchange rate to about 10’000 US $). An autographic stone however is just a reprint on a stone from the same period, which has been transferred by use of a carrier such as a transfer paper. As shown above, such a stone should no longer be considered an original. Lately a number of stones were sold for about 160 $ a piece by an auction house in the Netherlands. The price level seems to suggest that they may have been autographic stones.

SOME ADVICE

Original lithographic stones by Daumier are as close as one can possibly get to see, touch and understand Daumier’s lithographic oeuvre. It will be in the collector’s interest however to ascertain that a stone which is offered meets the criteria described above. Besides establishing the age of the stone (which can be a rather harmful process) one should carefully examine the printing result and pay attention to eventual differences in size, depth and appearance between the drawing on the stone and the finished print versions on newspaper and sur blanc. Often the newspaper version will show loss of details still found on the sur blanc version. If the sur blanc print is identical with the stone image, chances are good that this is the “mother stone” (which was reserved especially for sur blanc prints). If it were an autographic stone, one would most likely be able to see the losses in detail which had occurred during the transfer.

Other aspects of importance are the grain of the stone, the origin and quality of the printing colour used, the provenance (going as far back as possible in the history of the stone) to name just a few.

As so often in Daumier’s oeuvre one can assume that fakes would be done from attractive themes such as lawyers, doctors, genre-scenes, which would sell easily. This holds true for lithographs but also for stones. Therefore one should be careful if such stones are being offered; they might have been produced recently with the intention of making modern reprints of popular themes. Political scenes or more general, unattractive topics however would hardly entice a forger to spend time and effort, since such stones would be rather difficult to sell.

Thus most of the stones found in museums can with very few exceptions be considered thematically ‘coincidental’, as they should be.

In case of doubt, the opinion of an expert might shed some light. An experienced printer who is still familiar with working on an old lithographic printing press may be of great help. We have been very fortunate to have found several who proved to be extremely knowledgeable in this matter. These printers look at the stones with the eye of an artisan/craftsman rather than an art historian and they have a practical way of tackling the problem. Another expert could be an art historian or a curator who could explain the possible historic traps.

In any case, the old recommendation is valid here too: Buyer beware!

Maybe Mr. Frapier knew exactly what he was doing when using his lithographic stones for flooring...?

DR 3247 - Illustration of a lithographic "motherstone" (Private Collection)

Lithograph by Bourdet, Charivari August 6, 1835 showing lithographic stones. Photo with kind permission by Pierre E., Bordeaux, collector.

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DAUMIER - DU RIRE AUX ARMES 1848-1870 (en français)

Press release by

Le Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Saint-Denis

-----------------------------------------------------------

Afin de célébrer le deuxième centenaire de la naissance d’Honoré Daumier, le musée d’art et d’histoire de Saint-Denis, riche de près de 4 000 lithographies de l’artiste, a décidé de lui rendre hommage. L’exposition accompagnant cette commémoration privilégiera une période particulière de son existence, celle qui va de la Révolution de 1848 à la guerre de 1870, et un des thèmes récurrents de son œuvre, le divertissement, sous toutes ses formes théâtrales ou musicales. L’ensemble sera replacé dans l’effervescence d’un Paris point de mire et but de voyage du monde entier, mais néanmoins sous la coupe permanente d’une censure impitoyable.

Avec la collaboration d’autres institutions publiques, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Bibliothèque des Arts du spectacle, Bibliothèque de la Comédie Française, Bibliothèque de l’Opéra national de Paris, et Musée d’Orsay, le musée de Saint-Denis pourra ainsi évoquer l’actualité qui inspira Daumier, telle la naissance du vedettariat avec Rachel au théâtre, ou Ernesta Grisi à l’opéra sur fond d’opposition entre musiciens français (de Berlioz à Bizet) et italiens (de Rossini à Verdi), sans oublier les divertissements populaires, musique et bal. On y rencontrera aussi l’engouement pour certaines formes musicales importées, sur lesquelles planera l’image de la Lola de Valence de Manet, ou bien encore l’apparition de nouveaux divertissements qui nous amèneront à évoquer l’incontournable figure, autant admirée que vilipendée, d’Offenbach.

La réunion de cet ensemble d’œuvres de techniques variées, puisqu’entre les images se glisseront les costumes et les accessoires qui furent alors portés, permettra de juger de l’allusion ou de l’illusion comique derrière laquelle se profilent bien souvent les armes et les larmes de l’Histoire. Elle nous permettra aussi probablement de connaître un peu mieux Honoré Daumier, ses relations et ses distractions… lorsque la pierre lithographique lui laissait quelque liberté.

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LOUIS XIV - A MISSING DAUMIER SCULPTURE REDISCOVERED

Most Daumier collectors and scholars are familiar with the busts created after clay models, which Daumier originally shaped in the 1830s. These unique pieces, now restored and displayed in the Orsay in Paris, served as the basis for various limited bronze versions which were done around the middle of the 20th century by Rudier, Valsuani and other foundries.

However, not many collectors are aware of the fact that Daumier also did a large clay bust of LOUIS XIV. Wasserman, Lecomte, Gobin, Cherpin and other Daumier scholars commented on this original, of which some very few bronze samples were molded.

It might be interesting to examine the time schedule and history of this extraordinary sculpture.

According to the 1985 Aulnay exhibition catalogue, Daumier does the Louis XIV clay in 1839/40 (terre crue recouverte de gomme laque)

In 1905 the clay version is discovered at a Jesuit convent/church in the Passy area, France (confirmed by the MOMA New York correspondence supplied by Balzac Galleries)

RUDIER buys the sculpture (according to the Museum of Modern Art in New York)

RUDIER has a plaster copy done from the clay.

RUDIER makes two bronze copies for himself (MOMA/Aulnay)

According to Aulnay, the clay’s ownership by Rudier is first mentioned in 1927

The clay is mentioned again by André Suares in his book ‘Marsiho’ 1931 (p.124) & 1933 (p. 174-181)

G. GRAPPE buys the plaster copy and asks Rudier to produce two bronzes (the same as above?)

DIETERLE purchases the plaster copy from Grappe

1930 the Museum of Modern Art in New York shows a photo of the plaster and one of the bronzes. The bronze was on loan from Balzac Galleries, N.Y, insured for 10’000 $

1957 LeGarrec in Paris exhibits the plaster copy

LONCLE in Paris buys the plaster copy from Dieterle

VALSUANI produces a total of 10 bronze sculptures 1959/60 (?) based on the Loncle plaster

· 8 of the 10 bronzes show the Valsuani stamp and are numbered 1/8 to 8/8

· 2 of the 10 bronzes are stamped EE1 and EE2 .

This is confirmed in the 1985 Aulnay Catalogue

1959 Rudier sells the original clay version to Wildenstein Gallery in New York

1969 Wildenstein shows the clay sculpture to Wasserman at Harvard/Fogg

1969 - 1974 Wildenstein sells the clay to a collector. Present location unknown.

Exhibition of various Valsuani bronzes in Paris, Blois, Israel, Cambridge etc.

After many years had passed, in 2007 a bronze made from the original clay, owned by Rudier, appeared from a private collection in the USA. It differs significantly from the Valsuani copies in that it carries a numbering mark “N” as well as a signature “Daumier”. There are also small differences which are visible only on the photo published by Wasserman of the clay, but are missing in the photo of the plaster. An identical sculpture also showing the letter "N", this time however with the added remark "N°1" (the ° being underlined for "numéro") was recently identified at the Dallas Museum of Art. It seems to be reasonable to assume that both sculptures are the original two copies made by Rudier before 1927.

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CENSORSHIP - COMMENTED BY PHILIPON

It is a well known fact that censorship of the press during Daumier’s time was very rigid, and that Daumier was arrested for offending the Government by publishing prints in LA CARICTURE which drastically ridiculed the King and his Ministers. The owners as well as the artists of LA CARICATURE and later on also of the CHARIVARI were constantly pursued by the law, resulting in the example, shown below:

The censor, by instruction of the Ministry of the Interior (i.e. the Police), prohibited a print to be published in the CHARIVARI edition of November 4, 1835. The print had previously been presented to the authorities for acceptance, but the message of the prohibition came so late to the printer, that no replacement could be found.

Therefore the CHARIVARI decided not to show any lithograph at all, but instead published an explanatory note for the surprised subscriber (see photo below), who did not find the daily caricature on the third page of his newspaper as usual.

We hope you enjoy the ridiculing comment offered here by Philipon, who in writing sarcastic remarks demonstrates the feebleness of the censorship system.

Header of LE CHARIVARI edition of Nov.4, 1835

Philipon's explanatory text

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WOOD ENGRAVINGS IN THE DAUMIER REGISTER

Our new work catalogue for Daumier's wood engravings is online just in time for Daumier’s 199th birthday this February 2007. This means that in the DAUMIER REGISTER © you can now move freely between the more than 4'000 lithographs and the 1'000 wood-engravings. We have implemented the same set of search functions already known to users of the work catalogue for lithographs. We are sure that for many Daumier connoisseurs and collectors of Daumier lithographs the wood engravings are still a new and unknown field and it will be highly interesting to look through these highly expressive and often dramatic prints. It is our great hope that with the work catalogue for wood engravings these prints will receive a long overdue appreciation.

Our next step will now be the extremely challenging task of compiling information for the section about oil paintings as the new addition to the Daumier Register. This will keep us busy for a couple of years and we would be extremely grateful if owners of paintings - private or Museums - could contact us and supply information about their paintings.

As you are surely aware, our DAUMIER REGISTER © is a work of love (and we do love every moment of it). If you feel that the DAUMIER REGISTER © has helped you in your work or research, this may be the right moment to consider a small donation to the Register and help covering the ongoing software costs. Please contact us for details concerning check payment. Alternatively you could easily pay directly into our Paypal account (account name: info@daumier.org ). Any contribution is highly appreciated and we will be happy to add your name (if desired) to the list of sponsors on our website www.daumier.org .

We are looking forward to exciting years of work on Daumier's paintings ahead of us and we are thrilled about the numerous exhibitions which have been planned for Daumier's 200th birthday in 2008. We always appreciate receiving all your questions which reach us on a daily basis and we are delighted to work together with you and the entire Daumier community in the coming years.

Press this link to go directly to the DAUMIER REGISTER ©.

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WAHRE HELDEN? DAUMIER UND DIE ANTIKE

True heroes? Daumier and Antiquity

A very original Daumier exhibition will be taking place from April 26 to July 22, 2007 in Giessen, Germany. The place is the Antikenmuseum of the Justus Liebig University, which is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year. The subject is a very humorous and unusual one: The students of the archaeological faculty are contrasting the historical objects and personalities displayed in the Museum to Daumier's caricatures from the series HISTOIRE ANCIENNE.

We are sure that this humorous approach to ancient history will give a very special touch to an otherwise serious subject!

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MAX LIEBERMANN UND DAUMIER (auf deutsch)

Ein Mitglied der Deutschen Daumier Gesellschaft (www.daumiergesellschaft.de) hat uns freundlicherweise auf einen wichtigen Kommentar von Max Liebermann hingewiesen, in welchem dieser seine Einschätzung des Malers Daumier ausdrückt. Es handelt sich um den Artikel „Max Liebermann als Kunstsammler, die Entstehung seiner Sammlung und seine zeitgenössische Wirkung“ in: Forschungen und Berichte der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin, Band 15, 1973, Beitrag von Karl-Heinz Janda und Annegret Janda.

Auf Seite 111 des Artikel wird folgender Ausspruch Liebermanns, selber ein grosser Sammler von Daumiers Lithographien und Zeichnungen, wie folgt zitiert:

„Daumier ist ungeheuer!...Wo man ihn packen will, entschwindet er. Er ist als Maler und Zeichner und Lithograph über alle Massen gross. Ich habe mir eine Sammlung von ungefähr 3000 Lithographien angelegt. Er ist der größte Künstler des 19. Jahrhundert. Glauben Sie nicht? Was für Maler gibt es noch? Manet? Ja! Aber Cézanne und van Gogh, wissen Sie, waren schon inkomplette Künstler. Sie haben mehr gewollt, als sie erreichen konnten. Und das bedeutet auch ein Urteil. Aber Daumier hat alles gekonnt, was er gewollt hat. Er ist das grosse Genie.“ (Jedlicka S. 41).

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PUBLICATIONS AND COPYRIGHT

You may be interested to hear that more and more book authors and magazine publishers are accessing the Daumier Register with the aim of finding suitable photographs among the 4'000 lithographs for reproduction in their publications. We are delighted to see this increase of interest and would like to encourage authors and publishers to continue using Daumier caricatures of any subject for publications.

Here again the Copyright conditions for the use of photographs from the Daumier Register:

Museums, Universities and not-for-profit organizations may use photographs for reproduction free of charge, after having received our written permission.

Commercial publishers and editors will have to pay a nominal copyright fee for reproduction. Please contact us and bear in mind that these fees will be used entirely to support the ongoing research of the Daumier Register.

To see a list of publications with reproductions from the Daumier Register, go to the section Illustrations and Copyright

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PROGRESS IN THE RESTORATION OF DAUMIER'S GRAVE

AUGUST 15, 2006

THE RESTORATION IS MAKING PROGRESS

We are happy to show you today the first photograph of the restored grave!

As you can see, Daumier's grave has been cleaned and restored thanks to the financial support of many institutions and collectors. The six pillars have been replaced with new ones and the chain is also new. The next step will be the incision of the text which will be executed exactly the same way as it was before the cleaning.

We will keep you informed about the further progress.

For more details on Daumier's grave and on how you can help support this project click here.

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AN ORIGINAL WOODBLOCK REDISCOVERED AFTER 144 YEARS.

We are delighted to inform the Daumier community that the Daumier Register has acquired the original woodblock, engraved by C. Maurand based on Daumier’s design for publication in “Le Monde Illustré” which appeared under the title:

Le Boulevard des Italiens. (Dessin de M. Daumier.)

Work catalogue numbers:

DR 6002

Rümann 869

Bouvy 923

Signatures:

lower right: C.MAURAND

lower left: h.Daumier

appeared:

Monde illustré 08.02.1862 i/ii

Meynial 1920 ii/ii

Front view

Detailed front view

Side view

Reverse side

Reverse side: label

Reverse side: stamp by "Le Monde Illustré"

Reverse side: stamp by "Kieszling, Paris"

LE MONDE ILLUSTRÉ.

This journal appeared on a weekly basis. Founded in 1856 it was sold also in 2 large annual volumes. Between 1863 and 1869 Daumier contributed 35 wood engravings to this journal; not in full size pages but still in rather large measurements. In the various years the following number of Daumier prints was published: 17 in 1862, 4 in 1863, 2 in 1862, 6 in 1867, 5 in 1868, and 1 in 1869. One needs also to add the smaller print which had appeared in “Paris guide” and was used here again in 1867 in connection with an advertisement. The beautiful “Fauteuils d’Orchestre” a print executed by the engraver Lepère after a water colour by Daumier als has to be added. This was shown at the great Daumier Exhibition at Galerie Durand-Ruel of 1878, arranged shortly before Daumier’ death.

According to Bouvy, five of those prints which had originally appeared in the ”Le Monde Illustré” were re-printed in 1865 in the “Le Journal Illustré”, a weekly paper in-folio, founded in 1864. Further 20 prints were published in the weekly “La Presse Illustrée”, a journal founded in 1860.

THE MEYNIAL EDITION.

Jules Meynial was the editor of the bi-weekly publication "La Presse Illustrée", which later appeared only once a week. The paper was founded in 1860. He succeeded in purchasing in the early 1900s some of the rare wood blocks used to print the wood engravings "after Daumier", which were published to illustrate the "Monde illustré".

In 1920 he used these blocks to edit a separate group of some 36 prints on Japan paper without text or number. He offered these prints under the title: “H. Daumier, tirage unique de trente-six bois". The print titled "Affreux macadam !" as well as the print which had appeared in “Paris Guide” were not used by Meynial, most likely because he did not find the wood blocks on the market. The entire set was completed by adding “Les Fauteuils d’Orchestre”, engraved after a Daumier painting, by Lepère, and by “Amateurs d’Estampes”, engraved by F.L. Schmied, after a watercolour from the Camondo collection in the Louvre.

As engravers we find Lepère, Étienne, Maurand, Peulot.

The collection of Meynial prints on Japan paper found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art carrying the collector's mark "FLS" also shows that each print was numbered in pencil. It seems the total edition of these Meynial prints may have amounted to 75. A separate edition of only 25 pieces was published on China paper.

It seems that Meynial’s successors must have sold the wood blocks some time between 1900 and now, since one occasionally finds single pieces on auction in France. The 36 blocks have not been kept together and are spread out in various collections all over the world. We have been able to locate about 50% of them. The wood block of DR 6002 today is part of the Noack Collection (the Daumier Register) in Switzerland.

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The Daumier Register more easily accessible.

The Daumier Register more easily accessible.

We are delighted to inform you that as of today, the access to the digital work catalogue (www.daumier-register.org) of Daumier’s 4000 lithographs, will be available WITHOUT REGISTRATION AND WITHOUT LOGIN. If you wish to enter this website you will from now on only need to click on the language of your choice and “you are in”! No more password or registration will be needed. The overwhelming interest in Daumier’s oeuvre generated by our site, made it administratively more feasible to simply remove the registration procedure.

We sincerely hope you will use the Daumier Register even more in the future.

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Das Daumier Register - noch leichter zugänglich.

Wir freuen uns, Ihnen mitzuteilen, dass ab sofort der Zugang zum digitalen Daumier Werkverzeichnis (www.daumier-register.org), welches Daumier's gesamtes lithographisches Werk von 4'000 Lithographien beschreibt, OHNE REGISTRIERUNG UND OHNE LOGIN erfolgt. Wenn Sie von jetzt an dieses Verzeichnis konsultieren wollen, genügt es, die Fahne für die Sprachwahl anzuklicken, und "Sie sind drin!" Das überwältigende Interesse an Daumier's Werk, welches wir in unserer Website feststellen können, hat uns dazu bewogen, diese Registrierungs-Prozedur zu entfernen und so den Zugang noch mehr zu erleichtern.

Wir hoffen sehr, dass Sie in Zukunft das Daumier-Register noch häufiger benützen werden.

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Le Daumier Register - encore plus facile à accéder.

Nous sommes heureux d'annoncer qu'à partir de ce moment le Daumier-Register, le catalogue raisonné digital (www.daumier-register.org) sera accessible SANS INSCRIPTION NI LOGIN. Il suffira de cliquer sur le drapeau pour le choix de la langue et "vous y êtes"! L'énorme intérêt dans l'œuvre de Daumier que nous pouvons constater dans notre site nous a convaincu de faciliter l'accès et d'enlever la procédure d'inscription.

Nous espérons que vous utiliserez encore plus souvent cette source de recherche.

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ABSINTH IN DAUMIERS WERK (auf deutsch)

Blaumacher und Kulturträger: Absinth, die "grüne Göttin"

Meine Geschichten - Von Klaus Geitel

Erstaunlicherweise ist das kostbarste aller Getränke selten gerühmt und besungen worden. Sogar die sonst alles Erdenkliche lauthals beschreiende Reklame ist ausgerechnet vor diesem Getränk verstummt. Es handelt sich um die Muttermilch. Ihr einziger Nachteil: Sie wird im Händchenumdrehen wieder vergessen. Sie weicht, gottergeben und widerstandslos, dem Wasser, dem Tee, dem Kaffee, dem Saft, dem Bier, dem Wein, dem Champagner. Dem Alkohol.

Alles schön und gut - wenn mit Maßen genossen. Dennoch wuchs sich ein alkoholisches Getränk namens Absinth im Verlauf der Jahrzehnte derart mörderisch aus, daß Frankreich es vor hundert Jahren per Gesetz vom Markt nahm. Man versoff davon 1912 inzwischen sage und schreibe knapp 122 Millionen Liter pro Jahr. Frankreich wollte aber seine Soldaten nicht betrunken in den Krieg torkeln sehen. Es verbot die angebetete "Grüne Göttin".

Der Absinth aber hatte sich längst schon zum Kulturträger ersten Ranges gemausert. Er eröffnete den Zugang zu den viel verheißenden "künstlichen Paradiesen", aus denen es sich allerdings allzu leicht in sehr reale Höllen hinabstürzen ließ. Diese Abstürze haben die großen Maler der Epoche immer erneut mit Pinsel-Inbrunst glorifiziert. Was den einen als "auf Flaschen gezogener Wahnsinn" erschien, galt anderen, wie Alfred Jarry, Schöpfer des "Ubu Roi", ohne Umschweif als "Heiliges Wasser". Er öffnete Champagnerflaschen mit Vorliebe, indem er ihnen mit der Pistole die Hälse zerschoß.

Charles Baudelaire schreibt in den Prosa-Gedichten des "Spleen von Paris" von einem Freund, der sich herzlich darum bemühte, einen Wald anzuzünden, nur um zu sehen, ob er wirklich so rasch niederbrenne, wie man behauptete. Zehnmal schlug sein Versuch fehl, beim elften Mal gelang er nur allzu gut. Für Oscar Wilde glich die Schönheit eines Glases voll Absinth der eines berauschenden Sonnenuntergangs.

Leider ging beim Trinken nicht einzig die Sonne unter. Der Alkoholgehalt im Absinth belief sich schließlich auf herausfordernde 72 Prozent. Viele Stationen auf diesem Weg zur Selbstvernichtung haben die bedeutenden Maler der Zeit festgehalten: von Manet und Degas zu Daumier, von Toulouse-Lautrec über Gauguin zu van Gogh und Picasso. Eine Parade der weltverlorenen Schreckensgestalten. Das vielleicht schauerlichste Bild aber lieferte wohl nicht die Malerei, sondern die Photographie. Sie zeigt den einsamen Verlaine, in die Sofaecke eines Cafés gekauert, die Augen zu Schlitzen verengt, vor sich auf dem Tisch ein hohes, randvolles Glas mit Absinth.

Auf jeden Fall war es vernünftiger, Absinthtrinker nur zu malen, statt sich bei ihnen einzureihen. Sie gefährdeten nicht einzig das eigene, sondern auch fremde Leben. Verlaine befand sich zweifellos im Absinth- und Eifersuchtsrausch, als er auf Arthur Rimbaud, den jungen Dichterfreund, losging und auf ihn schoß. Glücklicher- und hoffentlich auch ernüchternderweise traf er ihn bei drei Schüssen nur einmal und zwar ins Handgelenk. Nicht nur trinken, auch zielen will eben gelernt sein.

Aus der Berliner Morgenpost vom 10. Mai 2006

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Die Suche im DAUMIER REGISTER nach Lithographien zum Thema "Absinth" ergab 3 Resultate:

DR 3255

DR 3256

DR 3357

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DR 3390 - A RARE LITHOGRAPH REDISCOVERED

Luck was on our side when we found DR 3390; but this print was at first quite enigmatic to us until we started analysing its printing process.

Below you will find two photographs of the print in two different states and printed in two different methods. You will also see detailed photographs of the monogram.

The first one shows the print in the 2nd state as appeared in the Journal Amusant in 1865: with the text, full title, monogram h.D. and stone number (lower left) as well as the name “Gillot” at the lower right margin. (The same print was again published in 1874 in the Petit Journal Pour Rire in the 3nd state.)

The second photograph shows a print without text. There is no stone number and no “Gillot” signature, only the monogram h.D. Although the print shows minor damages and water stains, the quality is nevertheless by far superior to the Gillot version.

We are obviously dealing with the same print, but while the first one is a gillotage, the second one can clearly be identified as a lithograph.

The gillotage printing system developed by GILLOT is a relief process where the drawing is transferred from the lithographic stone to a metal plate. It is then etched to create a relief plate. This process made it possible to produce large quantities of prints and was thus used for illustrations in newspapers. Unfortunately the quality was by far inferior to a lithograph and is missing the smooth and expressive lines, which we appreciate so much in lithography. To know, more about Gillot and his printing technique, see our detailed information on this website.

It is important to understand Daumier’s way of working: He first drew an image directly on the lithographic stone. The stone was then collected from his study and taken to the print shop where a “trial print” on thin paper was done to test the quality. Now, the text writer added his text either directly onto the print or on a slip of paper, which was glued on at the bottom of the thin lithographic print. Several examples of this can be seen in the Daumier Register, e.g. DR 3336.

In several cases, Daumier did not write his monogram and the stone number on the lithographic stone. Occasionally, the printer, while producing the gillotage, added Daumier’s missing monogram, the stone number and his own signature (Gillot sc) to the zinc plate. This done, the “mass-production” could begin.

The rare one or two lithographic trial prints on thin paper were filed with the printer for future reference. Today, only very few examples of these extremely rare trial print lithographs still exist. Some of them are at the National Gallery of Art in Washington and at the Metropolitan Museum in New York; a few are in private collections.

After these introductory explanations, let us look again at our two photographs. While the images in both versions are identical, there are a number of slight differences to be noted:

· The lithograph shows a small difference in paper measurements compared to the gillotage. Most likely the paper - which is not thin, but rather of a yellowish-brownish wove paper quality - has been cut short at the margins.

· The gillotage shows the monogram, a stone number as well as the Gillot signature., while the lithograph shows merely Daumier’s monogram. After having taken exact measures of the two monograms we found an interesting difference:

· The monogram on the lithograph has been placed 2 millimetres below the one visible in the gillotage (see detailed photograph).

· The background behind the monogram is “lightened up” as if someone had scratched out this space on the stone before adding the monogram (see detailed photograph).

Can this print be considered an original lithograph or is it a fake? Here are our thoughts and assumptions about what might have happened:

1) Daumier, as always, drew on the stone but in this case did not add his monogram and the stone number.

2) The usual copy on thin paper was printed and the text was added. This original lithographic trial print was most likely lost over time.

3) The printer now produced the zinc plate from the stone and added the missing monogram himself, as well as the stone number and the printer’s name to the metal plate before printing the gillotage.

4) Someone in the printing shop liked the print and did his own “private” lithograph copy on wove paper.

5) In order to “add value” to it, he decided to add the Daumier monogram (see under point 1: the monogram was missing on the lithographic stone).

6) Since the stone had already been coloured with black printer’s ink for the print on thin paper, he had to wipe/scratch off the ink at the place on the stone, where he wanted to add the monogram. This would explain the lighter shade on the monogram background.

7) Nobody noticed that such a “special” copy had been made. The stone was erased and could be used again for a new drawing.

Thus this print can be considered an original lithograph in a new state (with an added monogram). We assume it is one of a total of two prints which were made of DR 3390, of which the first one on thin paper had disappeared over time. The print shown here is most likely the only original lithograph of DR3390 still in existence.

We invite your comments about this fascinating print. Please don’t hesitate to contact us in case you have any questions.

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LA RENTRÉE - BACK TO SCHOOL: Slideshow

September 1, 2005

The new SLIDE SHOW is online on this website. Have a look at

LA RENTRÉE - BACK TO SCHOOL

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SUMMERTIME! A new slide show exhibition in this website.

August 13, 2005

The new SLIDE SHOW is online on this website. Have a look at it and enjoy the

SUMMERTIME !

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DAUMIER AND THE WOOD ENGRAVINGS BY MEYNIAL

July 28, 2005

As most Daumier collectors know, Daumier produced some 4000 lithographs and approximately 1000 wood engravings. The latter appeared mainly in newspapers such as Le Charivari, Le Monde Illustré and many others, as well as in book publications. Unknown to many, the editor and publisher Jules Meynial succeeded in purchasing some 34 original wood blocks. In 1920, well after the death of Daumier, he published with the help of the printer F.L. Schmied an album containing several folders. They displayed 34 large wood engravings which had previously appeared in Le Monde Illustré. He added 2 more wood engravings after watercolors by Daumier: the “Fauteuils d’Orchestre”, was originally presented in 1878 at the Galerie Durand-Ruel exhibition and the engraving was done by Lepère; “Les Amateurs d’Estampes” which is part of the Louvre collection, was engraved by Schmied. The only print missing in the Meynial collection which had previously appeared in “Le Monde Illustré” was “affreux macadam” (Bouvy 933).

In total 100 albums were produced, of which 25 numbered 1/25 to 25/25 on China paper (chine appliqué) and 75 numbered 1/75 to 75/75 on Japan paper. The China paper edition was offered to various museums and some few private collectors, while the 75 Japan paper edition was distributed to collectors at random.

The prints are before any text (avant la lettre) and the print quality is excellent. These prints can be considered as being extremely rare and will be rather difficult to find on the market, especially those on China paper. After the printing process, the wood blocks were “whitened” in order curtail any future reprints. As one will note in the photographs below, the woodblocks were supplied (and numbered) by Kieszling, a company with offices in 16, rue Charlemagne in Paris (ref. Remi Blachon, 2005) supplier of artists’ woodblocks.

For comparison we are showing here the following four photographs of DR 6033/EB 954:

Front of the original whitened wood block (from a Swiss private collection)

Verso of the same woodblock, showing the stamps of “Le Monde Illustré”, Kieszling and an export stamp of the Paris customs office

Print as it appeared in "Le Monde Illustré"

Print as published in the Meynial edition

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BOUVENNE’S COLOR MODELS: STILL ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS…. AND SOME ANSWERS

June 3, 2005

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the overwhelming response to the new DAUMIER REGISTER (www.daumier-register.org), the online catalogue raisonné on Daumier's lithographic work and we are very happy that so many collectors, curators and dealers as well as scholars are making use of the search functions offered.

In this context we were approached by a number of visitors who had seen our Daumier news of April 2005 where we were dealing with questions in connection with BOUVENNE "modèles". You may recall that H. Schrank of New York who owns one of the models from the Caricaturana Album had noticed that the colour proposals made by Bouvenne did not correspond to the final colour print version. The most apparent difference in Mr. Schrank's "modèle" is the green background whereas the background of the final version is yellow.

This observation had raised a number of questions and prompted us to pursue the matter further. At the same time and as a consequence of the new DAUMIER REGISTER (www.daumier-register.org) the online catalogue raisonné on Daumier's lithographic work, many collectors and dealers approached us to find out about the REAL value of Bouvenne "modèles". As described in the article mentioned before, we were able to trace a great number of Bouvenne "modèles" and compared them to the final versions of the prints. To our great surprise, not one of Bouvenne's colour proposals had an influence on Aubert's print version. In addition, we were unable to find any information about the "Grande Collection" of 1839 mentioned by Bouvenne on the margins of his "modèles".

Furthermore it seemed that it was quite impossible to find specific information about Edouard Bouvenne; was he a free-lance artist or aquarellist-craftsman or a printer in Aubert's publishing house. It should also be noted that Edouard Bouvenne’s name cannot be found in any art registry of 19th century artists, which seem to indicate that he was not an artist of importance during this period.

We found out that all of Bouvenne's "modèles" had been in a French private collection for a certain time before a print dealer in the U.K. started offering them to collectors and museums in Europe and the USA. The retail price depending on subject and condition of a "modèle" ranges between $1'500 and $2'500. To establish the real value of the "modèles" they might be compared to Daumier prints with handwritten annotations by the printer or the publisher. For example: the printer’s proofs, usually excellent prints on “papier mince” with the handwritten approval, date and signature of Aubert, Bauger, Junca etc. are being sold,