Les Plaisirs du Carnaval (The Pleasures of Carnival), plate 28 from the series Voyage en Chine (Travels in China) in Le Charivari

Inscriptions

Lettered, upper center: VOYAGE EN CHINE.; lettered, upper right: 28.; inscribed, on stone, lower center: 699; initialled, on stone, lower right: h.D.; lettered, lower left margin: Chez Aubert Pl. de la Bourse, 29.; lettered, lower right margin: Imp. d'Aubert & C.ie [ie in superscript]; lettered, lower center: LES PLAISIRS DU CARNAVAL. / Pendant trois jours de l'année qu'ils nomment gras [in bold], nous ne savons trop pourquoi, les chinois éprouvent un grand charme à se couvrir des plus sales ori- / peaux qu'ils peuvent trouver, puis dans ce costume ils parcourent les rues de Pékin en criant ohé [in bold], ohé [in bold], mot chinois très spirituel dont nous ignorons com- / plètement le sens / Quand par hasard ils cessent de crier ohé [in bold], c'est pour tenirune foule de propos qui feraient rougir des savages des iles Marquises, mais que les / dames et demoiselles de Pékin ecoutent sans le moindre scruple vu leur civilisation beaucoup plus avancée [line partially cut off at the beginning; still legible] [Translated text: THE PLEASURES OF CARNIVAL. During three days of the year, which are for whatever reason called "gras", the Chinese fancy to cover themselves with the dirtiest rags they can find, running through the streets of Beijing screaming "Ohe, ohe", a Chinese spiritual expression, of which we do not know the meaning. If by chance they stop yelling "Ohe", it is only to give speeches which would make the indigenous of the Marquesa Islands blush. The ladies and the young girls of Beijing, however, thanks to their advanced level of civilization manage to listen to them without any scruples.]

Exhibition History

19th Century Prints from the Permanent Collection, Art 52, Lower Jewett Corridor, Hopkins Center Art Galleries, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, January 12-March 25, 1979.

Provenance

Ilse Martha Bischoff, Hartland, Vermont; given to present collection, 1955.

Catalogue Raisonne

Hazard (1904): 2746; Delteil (1926): 1214; Daumier Register: 1214

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