Mr. Colimard, if you don't immediately stop ogling the dancers..., from 'Theater sketches,' published in Le Charivari, May 4, 1864

Art Historical Context

Step into the lively world of 19th-century Parisian satire with *Mr. Colimard, if don't immediately stop ogling dancers...*, a lithograph by Honoré Daumier published in *Le Charivari* on 4, 1864. Daumier, a master caricaturist and key figure in French Realism, contributed thousands of biting images to this daily newspaper, skewering the bourgeoisie, politics, and social faux pas. This piece, part of his *Theater Sketches* series, captures the rowdy energy of theater audiences, where men like the hapless Mr. Colimard are comically reprimanded for leering at graceful dancers—a cheeky nod to Victorian-era propriety clashing with human impulses. Daumier's genius shines in his expressive, exaggerated lines, turning everyday scenes into sharp social commentary. The tags—dance, men, women, dancers—evoke a bustling stage and voyeuristic crowd, highlighting gender dynamics and the spectacle of popular entertainment like ballet at the Opéra. Printed on newsprint in the second state of two (per Delteil cataloguing), this affordable medium allowed wide dissemination, making elite critique accessible to the masses. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department from The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this 9 3/16 × 8 11/16 in. image remains a witty time capsule of 1860s France, reminding us how theater mirrored—and mocked—society's quirks. (198 words)

About the Artist

Destouches|Honoré Daumier|Aaron Martinet (French|French) · 1808 |1800 –1879 |1900

French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|Paris