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Daumier was deeply fascinated by the world of the theater. He created skillful lithographs and oil paintings of street players, backstage scenes, the bourgeoisie in the audience and scenes on the stage. He created several lithographs during the period 1852-64 that incorporate the motif of peeping out from the dark box seats to the bright stage. He clearly shows the figures' enjoyment and boredom in his lithographs, while in this oil painting he renders the figures in silhouette so that their facial expressions can barely be discerned. A black clothed group is set against the gorgeous background of a front row box in the left front of the scene. The audience is shown only in careful, simple silhouettes. This type of expression reflects Daumier's study of figural poses and facial expressions, and his thorough understanding of social position, character and sentiment. Daumier took up the relatively new subject of modern life through broad-stroked silhouettes, abbreviated details, and his rendering of subtle nuances in a limited palette. His work later exerted considerable influence on Manet and Degas. (Source: Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 2009, cat. no.62)

Details

  • Title: Theater Audience
  • Creator Lifespan: 1808 - 1879
  • Creator Nationality: French
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: Valmondois
  • Creator Birth Place: Marseille
  • Date Created: c. 1856-60
  • Location Created: France
  • Provenance: Daubigny Coll., Paris; Mme Daubigny, Paris; Ambroise Vollard, Paris; Wilhelm Hansen, Ordrupgaard; Kojiro Matsukata (on deposit with Bridgestone Museum of Art, Tokyo, since 1953)
  • Physical Dimensions: w327 x h236 mm
  • Painter: Honoré Daumier
  • Object title (Japanese): 観劇
  • Object notes (Japanese): ドーミエは演劇の世界に深い関心を抱いていた。大道芸人(サルタンバンク)、劇場の舞台裏の人々の表情、精いっぱい気どった観客のブルジョワたち、舞台上のシーンに一喜一憂する観客などを、巧みなタッチでリトグラフに表わし、油彩でも描いている。暗い棧敷席から明るい舞台を覗くというモティーフのリトグラフは、1852-64年にいくつか作られた。リトグラフでは、人々の驚きや退屈の表情が鮮明であるが、この油彩画では人々の姿はシルエットで描かれているため、表情はあまりはっきりとは読みとれない。華やかな正面棧敷を背景に、この黒い服の一団は乗り出すようにして左手前方を見つめている。簡潔な横顔のシルエットとポーズだけで観客の熱中した様を描き上げている。このような表現は、人々の顔やポーズを深く研究し、社会的地位、性格、感情をそれらによって表わそうとしたドーミエならではのものである。細部を省略し、シルエットを大胆に塗りつぶし、少ない色数で微妙なニュアンスを描き出す手法は、その現代生活という主題とならんで当時としては極めて斬新であり、マネやドガらに大きな影響を与えた。(出典: 国立西洋美術館名作選. 東京, 国立西洋美術館, 2006. cat. no. 62)
  • Artist Name (Japanese): ドーミエ、オノレ
  • Type: Paintings
  • Rights: Donated by the heirs of Mr. Kojiro Matsukata (ex-Matsukata Collection), http://www.nmwa.go.jp/en/information/privacy.html
  • External Link: The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
  • Medium: Oil on panel

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