They say that Parisians are difficult to please, on these four benches there is not one discontent-It is true that all these Frenchmen are Romans, 1864

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Lithographexpand_more

Gift of Mrs. Charles C. Bovey, 1924expand_more  P.10,176

Not on Viewexpand_more

Theatrical performances were popular entertainments in mid-nineteenth-century Paris. In this lithograph, Daumier focuses on the audience; especially the members of the "claque," a group hired to sit directly behind the orchestra to applaud the performance. Nearly every Parisian theater of this time employed a claque, and in this image, they are either genuinely fascinated by the show or quite successful in their own performance.

Details
Title
They say that Parisians are difficult to please, on these four benches there is not one discontent-It is true that all these Frenchmen are Romans
Artist Life
1808–1879
Role
Artist
Accession Number
P.10,176
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. 3263 ii/ii; HD 1571
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.

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