Author: GAVARNI, Paul [pseudonym of Guillaume Sulpice Chevallier]; [pseudonym of Guillaume Sulpice Chevallier]
Title: Souvenirs Du Bal Chicard
Description: Paris: Bauger & Cie. 1839. A Unique Copy of Gavarni's Classic Featuring The Colorist's Models GAVARNI [pseudonym of Guillaume Sulpice Chevallier]. Souvenirs du Bal Chicard. [Paris: Bauger & Cie. n.d. 1839-1843]. A unique copy comprised of colorist Edouard Bouvenne's models. Large quarto (13 1/2 x 10 1/2 in; 341 x 266 mm). A suite of twenty hand colored lithographs representing the travesties of men and women, commissioned for Le Charivari. Printed by Aubertet et Cie. All plates mounted on stubs. Fourteen plates have "Modele" stenciled in color at foot; five have "Modele" inked in Bouvenne's hand and Bouvenne has boldly signed and dated thirteen plates; only the first plate is unmarked by Bouvenne in any way. The plates are captioned: [1]. “Chicard;” 2. “Un Covage Civilizé;” 3. “Balochard;” 4. “Mr. Floumann;” 5. “Pétrin;” 6. “Commissaire de Marine;” [7]. “Général Étranger;” 8. “Insulaire de n’importe où;” 9. “Troubadour;” 10. “Titi;” 11. “Agréable;” 12. “Cacique;” 13. “Emir;” 14. “Andalouse;” [15]. “Triton;” 16. “Garde Champêtre;” 17. “Bourguemestre;” 18. “Robinson;” 19. “Minon-Minard;” and [20]. “Pistolet.” Imprints vary slightly. Plates [1], 2, 3, 4, 5, and [20] have no publisher’s imprint; plate 6 has imprint: “Chez Bauger R. du Croissant 16;” plate 8 has imprint: “Chez Bauger & Cie. R. du Croissant 16;” plates 17, 18, and 19 have both imprints: “Chez Bauger R. du Croissant, 16” and “Chez Aubert, Place de la Bourse;” plates 7 and 9-16 have imprint at foot: “Se Vend chez Bauger & Cie. Editeurs des Dessins de la Caricature du Figaro et du Charivari Rue du Croissant 16” (plates 9, 10, 14, 15, and 16 have additional imprint: “Chez Aubert gal. Véro-Dodat”). Early twentieth century green cloth, front cover with maroon morocco label bordered and lettered in gilt, spine with maroon morocco label lettered in gilt. A few plates with light foxing. Eighteen of twenty plates with Bouvenne's ink and/or color smudges at margins demonstrating their work-plate status. Second only to Daumier as the greatest social commentator and satirical artist of nineteenth century France, Gavarni produced the work under notice during his first period whence he confined himself to the study of Parisian manners, particularly those of the city's youth. Souvenirs du Bal Chicard (Memories of the Chicard Ball) dates from when he was in charge of the journal Le Charivari and was a regular at Paris's most prestigious balls, for which he often designed many costumes. During this time many of his finest lithographic sets drew their subject matter from these costume balls including Souvenirs du Bal Chicard . “Costume balls had been a part of carnival celebrations in France since the fifteenth century, but their popularity was unprecedented during the period of the July Monarchy. At first private and aristocratic, they became increasingly popular among the new bourgeoisie and the aspiring lower classes when they could afford them. One of the more exclusive, expensive (fifteen francs), and licentious of these bal masqués was also one of the most popular. The Bal Chicard was given by a prosperous businessman, Alexandre Lévêque, who was called by the nickname Chicard. Gavarni was a friend of Chicard’s, and, as a result, was one of those regularly in attendance. In this image [“Chicard”], from Souvenirs du Bal Chicard, a series of twenty lithographs published in Le Charivari between 1839 and 1843, we see one of the parodies of the earlier historic costumes of the bal masqué made famous at the Bal Chichard, along with some wilder forms of dancing” (Beatrice Farwell, The Charged Image: French Lithographic Caricature 1816-1848, p. 86). “ In another image [“Troubadour”] from the same series-Gavarni depicts an uninhibited dancer whose cap rests temporarily on the bottle of wine on the floor behind him. Gavarni’s intention here has obviously been to capture the character of the wild dancing for which the Bal Chicard was noted. In a pentimento, he has disguised a previously drawn extended arm by incorporating it into the drapery that flies off at the left, but it remains easy to visualize the figure with three arms. Gavarni not only drew the costumes he saw at the balls, but also designed costumes for use there. This troubadour’s costume purports to be a version of the late medieval doublet and hose, with anachronistic modifications frequently seen at the Bal Chicard, here emphasized by the pipe in the reveler’s mouth” (Beatrice Farwell, The Charged Image: French Lithographic Caricature 1816-1848, p. 88). Armelhaut and Boucher, L’Oeuvre de Gavarni, pp. 253, 524, and nos. 257 (“Chicard”) and 2280 (“Troubadour”). .

Keywords: [pseudonym of Guillaume Sulpice Chevallier] Books in French Color-Plate Books Books in French Caricatures French Caricature


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