“Stop to appreciate this lively snapshot of 19th-century Parisian life, where art lovers and beer enthusiasts gather. It's a humorous and detailed look at everyday social interaction, captured with quick, expressive lines.”
In this lithograph, a lively bar scene unfolds, capturing a moment of relaxed camaraderie. Two men, robust and animated, lean against a counter, their faces etched with character and expression. One raises a glass, perhaps toasting, while the other listens intently. The setting, described in the title as a "meeting point for the true lovers of French sculpture and Bavarian beer," playfully contrasts high culture with everyday indulgence. This print, published in the satirical French newspaper Le Charivari, reflects the public's engagement with both art exhibitions and social commentary in 1865. The artist often depicted ordinary Parisians, highlighting their quirks and pastimes, and here he brings us right into a bustling establishment where conversations flow as freely as the drinks. The quick, energetic lines common to lithography on newsprint perfectly convey the spontaneous atmosphere of this public house.
- Artist
- Honoré Daumier
- Date
- 1865
- Medium
- Lithograph on newsprint; second state of two (Delteil)
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- Image: 9 3/16 × 8 1/2 in. (23.4 × 21.6 cm)
- Collection
- Drawings and Prints
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1922
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The varied expressions on the men's faces, from a wide grin to a thoughtful gaze.
The large, frothy mugs of beer on the counter, suggesting the "Bavarian beer."
The details of their clothing, from top hats to rumpled coats.
The background figures, hinting at a busy, crowded bar.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through At the bar, meeting point for the true lovers of French sculpture and Bavarian beer, from 'Exhibition sketches,' published in Le Charivari, June 3, 1865 — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Further Works by Daumier
C'est peut-être bon...mais c'est égal..., from Les Hippophages, published in Le Charivari, October 23, 1856
1856 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Adèlaïde...Il me semble que je vois...la comète! (Adelaide...I think I see the comet!), from Croquis Parisiens, published in Le Charivari, February 18, 1857
1857 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Archimède riant des efforts impuissants que font les Anglais pour mettre à flot le Leviathan, from Actualités, published in Le Charivari, December 5, 1857
1857 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Ayant enfin trouvé..., from Actualités, published in Le Charivari, August 14, 1857
1857 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Ce perdreau est mort sur mon terrain..., from Émotions de Chasse, published in Le Charivari, October 10, 1857
1857 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Ce qui nous prouve comme quoi il est... inutile..., from Croquis Dramatiques, published in Le Charivari, May 23, 1857
1857 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Absinthe: The first glass, the sixth glass, from 'The Chinese of Paris," published in Le Charivari, December 22, 1863
1863 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
A happy evening party in Clichy, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, March 16, 1865
1865 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More from Naturalism
More works to explore
Beyond Daumier and Naturalism: works from the same years.
Same era · 1850s–1880s
The Backgammon Players
Philip Webb · 1861 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Two Boats in a Storm
Léon-Victor Dupré · 1870 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Paris Street; Rainy Day
Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
A Woman Seated beside a Vase of Flowers (Madame Paul Valpinçon?)
Edgar Degas · 1865 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Cliffs on the Sea Coast: Small Beach, Sunrise (Falaise au bord de la mer, vu Petite Plage, soleil levant)
Gustave Courbet · 1865 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Jesus Mocked by the Soldiers
Édouard Manet · 1865 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Mirope Savati Gaye
Mariano Fortuny Marsal · 1865 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Valley of the Bedford
William Hart · 1865 · Fogg Museum
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Alfred Sisley
Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1864 · Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection
Same era · 1850s–1880s
Peasants Bringing Home a Calf Born in the Fields
Jean-François Millet · 1864 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
The Banks of the Marne in Winter
Camille Pissarro · 1866 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1850s–1880s
The Beach at Sainte-Adresse
Claude Monet · 1867 · Art Institute of Chicago



