New Entertainment at the Parisian Evening Parties. The spirit of Mr. Hume shaving the beard of Monsieur de St. Potard and undoing the hair of Madame Coffignon, plate 8 from Ces Bons Parisiens 1857

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, titled "New Entertainment at the Parisian Evening Parties," during a time of significant social change in France. As industrialization transformed Parisian society, leisure and entertainment became increasingly important. Daumier captures a satirical scene of Parisian high society. The print depicts a woman in a state of disarray while a man drinks from a skull. The figures, representing Monsieur de St. Potard and Madame Coffignon, are the subject of ghostly antics by the "spirit of Mr. Hume." The artist critiques the era's obsession with spiritualism, which had become a popular form of entertainment among the bourgeoisie. The image is also an interesting commentary on gender roles and social expectations. The woman's disheveled appearance challenges the era's expectations of female decorum. The man's grotesque act of drinking is a contrast with traditional representations of masculinity. Daumier's print invites us to reflect on the absurdities of social life and the ways in which societal norms can be subverted, but also reveals the personal and emotional dimensions beneath the surface.