Artwork Page for Singing Guitarist (recto)

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Singing Guitarist (recto)

1855–60

Honoré Daumier

(French, 1808–1879)
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Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
pen and black ink over charcoal
Support
Cream(3) wove paper, discolored to yellow-cream except for the margin
Measurements
Sheet: 33.9 x 21.5 cm (13 3/8 x 8 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 1991.59.a
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

The first six-string guitars appeared simultaneously in Naples and Paris in the 1770s, and by the end of the 19th century the so-called Romantic guitar played a central role in the popular music of the French capital. Daumier’s drawing reflects this interest in street singers and carnival performers. The agitated, almost frenetic tangle of fine lines drawn in pen and ink imbues the figure with life, so that his voice and instrument seem to vibrate with emotion.
A vertically oriented drawing in black ink and charcoal on cream paper depicts a standing man with light skin tone and curly hair, facing us with his mouth wide open and eyes looking upward. Dense, scribbly lines define his form as he holds a guitar across his torso. Lighter, swirling lines in the background suggest other figures, but the most frenetic scribbling shades his upper body, the drawing becoming fainter toward the bottom.

Singing Guitarist (recto)

1855–60

Honoré Daumier

(French, 1808–1879)
France, 19th century

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