Provenance
Alfred Dussueil (1878–1927), Paris [Wildenstein 1991 and Durand-Ruel Archives]. Sold by Henri Cottereau, Paris, to Carter H. Harrison (1860–1953), Chicago, winter 1927–28 [Carter H. Harrison, “A brief statement of where and how I acquired the various items in the collection of drawings I have given to the Art Institute. . . . ,” Oct. 18, 1934]; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1933.
Caricature of a Man Standing by Desk (recto); Sketch of Male Head in Profile (verso)
1855/56
Accession Number
113090
Medium
Graphite on cream wove paper
Dimensions
20.3 × 16.6 cm (8 × 6 9/16 in.)
Classification
graphite
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. Carter H. Harrison Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
Claude Monet's double-sided drawing "Caricature of a Man Standing by Desk (recto); Sketch of Male Head in Profile (verso)" (1855/56) is a graphite drawing on cream wove paper. The recto shows a man standing by a desk, perhaps a businessman or clerk caught in a moment of comic self-importance. The verso has a quick sketch of a male head in profile. The double-sided nature of this sheet is particularly valuable, showing Monet working rapidly, using both sides of the paper to capture different subjects. The graphite strokes are quick and confident, the figures rendered with the economy that marks the natural caricaturist. The cream wove paper provides a smooth, pale ground. This drawing dates from the same period as Monet's other early caricatures, when he was a teenager in Le Havre supporting his artistic ambitions through the sale of these humorous portraits. The desk scene on the recto suggests an office or commercial setting, expanding the range of Monet's early subjects beyond simple portrait heads to include narrative situations.
Cultural Impact
Monet's double-sided caricature sheets provide a particularly intimate glimpse into the working methods of the young artist, showing him filling his papers with rapid observations of the world around him.
Why It Matters
This double-sided caricature sheet shows the young Monet expanding his range beyond simple portrait heads to include the narrative situations that would later enrich his Impressionist paintings.
