Qu’est ce que tu lis là

Paul Gavarni prints show Paris in the 1830s and 1840s through the eyes of its wittiest observer. Gavarni drew students, lovers, carnival dancers, cheeky children and deceived husbands for the satirical paper Le Charivari, writing his own sharp captions. His hand-coloured lithographs are full of fashion, flirtation and comedy. Our collection of fine art prints includes his best-known series and later London work.

About Paul Gavarni

Paul Gavarni was the pen name of Sulpice-Guillaume Chevallier, born in Paris on 13 January 1804. He trained in technical drawing and worked as a young surveyor in the Pyrenees, and took his pen name from the village of Gavarnie. Back in Paris he drew fashion plates before turning to caricature.

From the late 1830s he drew for Le Charivari alongside Honoré Daumier. His series Les Enfants terribles, Les Étudiants de Paris, Les Lorettes, Les Débardeurs and Fourberies de femmes made him famous, and he also illustrated books, including Hetzel's Le Diable à Paris.

From late 1847 to 1851 he lived in London, and his work there turned darker, with beggars, the poor and the ragged philosopher Thomas Vireloque. He died in Paris on 23 November 1866. His friends Edmond and Jules de Goncourt wrote his biography in 1873.

Style and Subjects

Gavarni was a draughtsman of elegance. His lithographs have a soft, flowing line and a light touch, and the hand-coloured Charivari prints add fresh pinks, blues and greens. Clothes matter in his pictures: he knew fashion well, and his carnival costumes, especially the débardeur, a woman in tight trousers and a loose shirt, became the costume of the season.

The humour lies as much in the captions as in the drawings. A child spills a family secret to a visitor, a medical student studies anatomy in his own way, a husband reads a letter he should not. His later work keeps the same skill but looks at poverty and age with a sadder eye.

Famous Works

• Combien m'en mets-tu donc de papillotes, Nini (1839–1841). A woman curls her lover's hair in paper papillotes while he reads.
• Mosieu, on ne peut pas voir papa (Les Enfants terribles) (1838–1840). A child tells a visitor that papa is busy going bankrupt.
• Il étudie sa médecine (Les Étudiants de Paris) (1839–1841). The medical student's idea of anatomy lessons.
• Oh Hé, Viens-tu souper la Gustine? (1840). Two masqueraders in full carnival dress, the débardeur look at its height.
• La lettre de Coquardeau (1840). Poor Coquardeau, deceived again, in a comedy of marriage.
• Le Diable à Paris (1844). The advertisement for Hetzel's great illustrated book of Paris life.
• English Beggar. A London street figure from his years in England.
• Masques et visages: Edmond and Jules de Goncourt (1853). His portrait of his friends and later biographers.

Decorating with Gavarni Prints

Gavarni's carnival and fashion prints suit a dressing room, bedroom or walk-in wardrobe, where the costumes and soft colours feel at home. A pair of débardeur prints in thin gold frames makes a playful, Parisian touch.

His comic scenes of students, couples and children work well in a hallway, kitchen or guest bathroom, where people have time to read the captions. For a French bistro look, group several hand-coloured Charivari prints in black frames on a dining room wall.

FAQ

Who was Paul Gavarni?

Paul Gavarni was the pen name of Sulpice-Guillaume Chevallier (1804–1866), a French illustrator and lithographer known for his scenes of Paris life for Le Charivari.

Where does the name Gavarni come from?

He took it from Gavarnie in the Pyrenees, where he worked as a young surveyor.

What are Gavarni's most famous series?

Les Enfants terribles, Les Étudiants de Paris, Les Lorettes, Les Débardeurs and Fourberies de femmes, mostly published in Le Charivari from the late 1830s.

What is a débardeur?

A carnival costume of tight trousers and a loose shirt worn by women at the Paris masked balls. Gavarni's prints made it the costume of the season.

How is Gavarni different from Daumier?

Both drew for Le Charivari, but Daumier was known for political bite, while Gavarni focused on fashion, love and the manners of everyday Paris, with lighter, more elegant drawing.

Related Artists

• Honoré Daumier: his fellow Le Charivari artist
• Charles-Joseph Traviès de Villers: French caricaturist of the same circle
• J. J. Grandville: French illustrator and caricaturist of the 1830s and 1840s
• Constantin Guys: later draughtsman of Paris fashion and street life