Honoré Daumier, “L'Artiste m'a représentée au moment où j'écris mon sombre volume …”, 1844

Honoré Daumier (aka Rogelin) (1808–1879)

“L'Artiste m'a représentée au moment où j'écris mon sombre volume …” (The artist captured me as I was writing my melancholic book …), 1844, Plate 23 (Stone No. 576), from the series of 40 lithographs, “Les Bas Bleus” (The Blue Stockings), published and printed in Paris by Aubert & Cie (c. 1830s–1880s), in “Le Charivari” (15^th April, 1844).

Lithograph on wove (newsprint) paper, printed on both recto and verso, backed by an archival support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 32.2 x 22.9 cm; (image borderline) 23.1 x 18.3 cm

Lettered above the image borderline: (centre) “LES BAS BLEUS.”; (right) “23.”

Inscribed in the stone within the image borderline: (lower right) “576/ h.D”.

Lettered below the image borderline: (left) “Chez Aubert, Pl. de la Bourse 29”; (right) “Imp. d[']Aubert & C^ie.”

The caption below the image offers the following discussion:

“L'Artiste m'a représentée au moment ou j'écris mon sombre volume intitulé: ‘Vapeurs de mon âme!...’ l'œil n'est pas mal, mais le nez me semble pas suffisamment affligé!... (Le monsieur à part) - Oui... il n'est qu'affligeant...”

([transl.] The artist captured me as I was writing my melancholic book entitled "Sorrows of my soul." The eyes came out quite well but the nose is not sorrowful enough!... (Man, sotto voce) - Yes... it is just in a sorry state...)

DR Number 1243 (Daumier Register cat. no. 1243 [https://www.daumier-register.org/werkview.php?key=1243])

Context & Significance: This lithograph is part of Daumier’s Les Bas Bleus series—a satirical commentary on the “Blue Stockings,” a term often used derogatorily for women involved in the early women’s liberation movement of the mid-19th century.
In this particular image, a female writer laments her portrayal in a portrait before a male companion, highlighting societal perceptions of women striving for intellectual independence.

Condition: A well-printed impression with slight shine-through of printed text from the verso. The sheet is in excellent condition—clean, with no tears, stains, holes, or folds. It has been laid on an archival-quality millennium washi support for preservation and to provide wide margins for mounting.

Price & Shipping: AU$172 (approximately US$111.78 / €95.91 / £83.26), inclusive of worldwide express shipping.
Please note: Import duties are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in purchasing fascinating caricature of 19th-century societal attitudes to women striving for acclaim, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold