GAVARNI, Paul [pseudonym of Guillaume Sulpice Chevallier]

Le Carnaval

Paris: Au Bureau du Charivari, 1846. Item #05451

Professional seduction scenes with prostitutes lusting after new clients…
The theme of ambiguity and deception illustrated by women disguised as men or vice versa…
"This is the most substantial and interesting of Gavarni's Oeuvres nouvelles" (Armelhault & Bocher)

GAVARNI, Paul. Le Carnaval 1e. Série [&] 2e Série. Paris: Au Bureau du Charivari, [1846-1848].

First edition. Two folio volumes (13 1/8 x 10 1/8 inches; 333 x 257 mm.). Fifty superb lithograph plates all with printed captions. Numbers 1-6 printed by Lemercier, numbers 7-50 printed by Aubert.

Publishers yellow wrappers printed in gold. Paper spines worn away, covers very slightly soiled. Plate number 4 with a neatly repaired small (one inch) closed fore-margin tear. Some light marginal foxing affecting just a few of the plates otherwise a near fine example of this exceptionally rare complete suite. Housed in a fleece-lined quarter black morocco clamshell case, spine with five raised bands, decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments.

A superb suite of fifty lithographs of which numbers 36, 37, 39, 40 & 50 were published only when the suite was put on sale as an album without the text on the verso.

"This is the most substantial and interesting of Gavarni's Oeuvres nouvelles of 1846-1847. The change of style to which it bears witness justifies its title of a "new work." Gavarni's compositions have become simpler and more massive; they emphasize the play of light and shade; and they are altogether richer and more velvety in their general aspect…" (Armelhault & Bocher, pp. 35-36).

According to OCLC there is just one example of the first series only (25 lithographs): University of California (LA, US).
KVK records no examples in libraries & institutions worldwide. We have been unable to locate any complete copy at auction over the past one hundred years…

"Gavarni's carnival lithographs gave him the opportunity to study his subjects in situations dominated by both intrigue and deception. Sexuality and sexual roles were also prime components with women dressed as men and men dressed as women. "The majority of Gavarni's carnival lithographs reflect his interest in the small groups that drift away from the crowd as a consequence of the romantic liaisons that preoccupied many of the participants at a masked ball." Such elements have made Gavarni's carnival lithographs among his finest and most famous works of art." (Nancy Olson. Gavarni: The Carnival Lithographs).

Gavarni had made a specialty of illustrating the Carnival of Paris. So much so that, more than twenty years after the artist's death a newspaper reported “Gavarni's word seems more and more accurate. - The carnival! he said, it doesn't exist, it was I who invented it at the rate of fifty francs a drawing!" It is necessary to see in the lithographs of Gavarni, the counterpart of Balzac's Comédie humaine. The Parisian Carnival, during the first half of the 19th century, was a real institution. The most amusing works are undoubtedly the carnival "situations" evoked by Gavarni. The theme of the husband who desperately seeks his wife, known as the “cuckold”, is taken up with a certain malice. Professional seduction scenes referring to prostitutes lusting after new clients. The theme of ambiguity and deception illustrated by women disguised as men or vice versa, giving rise to a comedy situation. However, one obstacle remained, that of the “municipal” in charge of supervising good morals: “Woe to those who indulge in too frenzied in-between times or who put on a disguise likely to disturb order or offend decency; they are very likely to end the night behind bars! wrote Balzac in 1841.

Armelhault & Bocher, 1024-1068.

The Plates:
1. Une Conquète.
A conquest.
2. Madame cherche un M’sieu? Deux M’sieux.
Madam is looking for a gentleman? Two Gentlemen.
3. Mosieu Emile Jolibiais, s’il vous plait, avocat à la Cour Royale… C’est moi M’sieu.
Monsieur Emile Jolibois, please, lawyer at the Royal Court... It's me sir.
4. Dachu! Dachu, tu m’ennuies… Non, Norinne c’est toi qui t’ennuies.
Dachu! Dachu, you're boring me... No, Norinne, you're the one who's boring.
5. Dieu! Que voilá donc un M’sieu qu’est comme il faut! Plait-il? Non.
God! So here is a gentleman who is proper! Pleasure? No.
6. Une Présentation.
A presentation.
7. Joli garçon payes-tu qué qu’chose?... Pas l’sou!… Ma chère!... Cher ami je te ferai crédit!...
Pretty boy, are you paying anything?... Not a penny!... My dear!... Dear friend, I'll give you credit!...
8. Le Jeu de Dominos. 2. Double six.
The Domino Game. 2. Double six.
9. Le Jeu de Dominos. 1. Je boude…
The Domino Game. 1. I sulk…
10. Lilie! Lilie!!...rien ne te dit donc que c’est moi, Lilie?
Lily! Lilie!!...so nothing tells you that it's me, Lilie?
11. Pour boire à la santé des malheureux qui meurent de soif, S’il vous plait!
To drink to the health of the unfortunate who are dying of thirst, Please!
12. M’sieu de…chose, un jeune homme charmant. En quoi est-il? En Cuisine.
Sir of… thing, a charming young man. What is it? In the kitchen.
13. Dieu! Mes amours, comme mon seigneur et maître est une chose don’t je me fiche pas mal ce soir!
God! My loves, as my lord and master is something I don't give a damn about tonight!
14. Ecoute ce que tu vas ouïr, ô jeunesse! Faut pas accorder toute la confiance au premier venu!...le second serait fume.
Listen to what you are about to hear, O youth! Do not give all the confidence to the first comer! ... the second would be smoked.
15. Oh! j’ai une patte sans connaissance!
Oh! I have an unconscious paw!
16. Ciel! Anatole!
Sky! Anatole!
17. Comment, Mosieu, à l’heure qu’il est vos galanteries ne sont pas encore couchées!
How, Mosieu, at this hour your gallantries are not yet set!
18. A présent, M’ame Bélisaire, si nous allions souper…
Now, M'ame Bélisaire, let's go to supper...
19. Votre très-humble Ma’ame! Mosieu j’ai l’honneur d’être!
Your very humble Ma'ame! Mosieu I have the honor to be!
So we will always be bad subject?
20. Nous serons donc toujours mauvais sujet?
So we will always be bad subject?
21. Si! J’aime bien le homard, mais je n’aime pas le Pierrot.
Whether! I like lobster, but I don't like Pierrot
22. Pour deux dominos, un noir et un blanc, qu’avaient à s’expliqure su sujet d’un m’sieu...ils ont partagé le different par la moitié… Et les v’la tous les deux gris.
For two dominoes, one black and one white, that had to be explained about a gentleman...they shared the difference by half...And here they are both gray.
23. Qu’est-ce que tu peux venir chercher par ici, philosophe? Je ramassa toutes vos vieilles blagues d’amour, mes colombes: on en refait du neuf.
What can you come here for, philosopher? I picked up all your old love jokes, my doves: we're making new ones.
24. J’suis pas mal sauvage, et vous, Madame?
I'm pretty wild, and you, Madame?
25. Comme tu vies tard! Et les affaires!
How late you live! And business!
26. Un quart d’heure pour m’habiller! Viens comme ça!
A quarter of an hour to get dressed! Come like this!
27. Le masque a beau mentir: Diogène femelle, On sait ce que promet ton manteau de satin, Et quelle affaire ici te fait, jusqu’au matin, En guise de lanterne allumer ta prunelle.
The mask may lie: Female Diogenes, We know what your satin coat promises, And what business you have here, until morning, Lighting your pupil as a lantern.
28. Pigeonnet, je suis innondè, et je souscris en ma faveur...hátons-nous de me porter les premiers secours.
Pigeonnet, I am flooded, and I subscribe in my favor...let's hasten to bring me first aid.
29. T’as eu tort, Emile, de t’être dèfait pour des bêtises d’une personne qui t’était bien attaché, au fond.
You were wrong, Emile, to have made yourself for the nonsense of a person who was really attached to you, deep down.
30. Oh hè! v'la le jour, oh hè! bonsoir la foire aux amours!
Oh hey! here comes the day, oh hey! good evening love fair!
31. En v’la-t-i’, Loupette, en v’la-t-i’ des commerçantes qu’ont fermè boutique pour venir danser!
From, Loupette, from the traders who have closed shop to come and dance!
32. Eh! bien non, je n’ai jetè mon bonnet par dessus aucun moulin, na!
Hey! well no, I did not throw my cap over any windmill, na!
33. ...un tas de turbateurs et de turbateuses qui ne font que provoquer au mèpris et la haine contre certaines classes de pékins!...
...a bunch of turbateurs and turbateuses who only provoke contempt and hatred against certain classes of pekins!...
34. Croyez vraiment, Mademoiselle, à toute la sincérité de mes sentimens... Et c’est là tout ce que tu payes?
Really believe, Mademoiselle, in all the sincerity of my feelings... And that's all you're paying for?
35. Un menuet.
A minuet.
36. Plésenthé, veux-tu m’aimer? Hi! hi! hi!...
Plesenthe, do you want to love me? Hi! hey! hi!...
37. Des pierrots peints par eux-mêmes.
Pierrots painted by themselves.
38. Cré nom les bel-hommes!
Create name the handsome men!
39. Scène de la vie privée du débardeur.
Scene from the private life of the longshoreman.
40. Amanda, tu ne reconnaîtrais pas un être que tu as tant aimé!
Amanda, you wouldn't recognize someone you loved so much!
41. Et vos pauv’ femmes? affreux gueux!
And your poor wives? dreadful bastard!
42. En v’la des m’sieurs agréab’ en société!
Here are gentlemen who are pleasant in society!
43. Jésus! c’est mon amoureux de samedi! Bojour, mosieu.
Jesus! it's my saturday lover! Good morning sir.
44. Vot’ servante, mosieu! Madame, votre serviteur...
Your servant, sir! Madam, your servant...
45. En ménage.
Married.
46. Eh! bien non, Mosieu, non! ces manières-là ne peuvent pas me convenir!...vous menez une conduite beaucoup trop...dissipée!
Hey! well no, sir, no! such manners cannot suit me!...you behave much too...dissipatively!
47. Voila un avant-deux qui fait rire le Municipal, mais ça me fait de la peine pour ton innocence Gouapette... N’as pas peur! quand mon innocence est en avant-deux, le Municipal ne rit pas!
Here's a before-two that makes the Municipal laugh, but it makes me feel sorry for your innocence Gouapette... Don't be afraid! when my innocence is forward-two, the Municipal does not laugh!
48. Si nous soupions, tout uniment, tous les deux? ça serait plus simple.
Suppose we had supper, quite simply, the two of us? it would be easier.
49. Où as-tu laissé Clarisse? Lovelace!
Where did you leave Clarisse? Lovelace!
50. Kêpi de velours garance. Foulard blanc. Bourgeron de mérinos bleu. Echarpe de soie noire à raies de couleur. Pantalon de velours garance. Guêtres de piqué blanc. Souliers vernis, gants blancs.
Madder velvet kepi. White scarf. Blue merino bud. Black silk scarf with colored stripes. Madder velvet pants. White piqué gaiters. Polished shoes, white gloves.

Price: $8,500.00