The mother is in the fire of composition, the baby is in the water of the bath!, 1844
Honoré Daumierexpand_more
Lithographexpand_more
Gift of Mrs. Charles C. Bovey, 1924expand_more P.9,282
Not on Viewexpand_more
The term "bluestocking" (bas-bleu in French) was used to ridicule the burgeoning feminist literary movement of the day. Daumier's series on the bluestockings portrayed these women as ugly, scornful, unhappy, and inadequate as housekeepers. These rebellious women also supposedly ignored their husbands and children while pursuing their personal ambitions. Here a bluestocking is so engrossed in her writing that she has not noticed that her child has fallen headfirst into the bath.
Details
- Title
- The mother is in the fire of composition, the baby is in the water of the bath!
- Artist Life
- 1808–1879
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.9,282
- Provenance
- Sarah Bernhardt, Paris (until d. 1923; her sale, part 2, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, July 23, 1923, part of 27 albums in no. 723). [Weyhe Gallery, New York, until 1924; sold 27 albums, for $600, to Bovey for MIA]; Mrs. Charles C. Bovey, Minneapolis (1924; gave 27 albums to MIA)
- Catalogue Raisonne
- L.D. 1227; H-D.691
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.