Tiens... notre jardin... produit des perdreaux!... 1857

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph to capture a moment of bourgeois surprise, focusing on symbols of nature disrupting domesticity. Here, the partridge takes centre stage, a motif steeped in history. In ancient Greece, the partridge was associated with cunning and fertility, often linked to tales of transformation and trickery. We see echoes of this bird in Renaissance paintings, sometimes symbolising lust or deception, depending on its context. Over time, the partridge transitioned into a symbol of the hunt, emblematic of aristocratic leisure and control over nature. Yet, in Daumier's hands, it bursts forth from the undergrowth into the cultivated garden, disrupting the domestic calm of the bourgeoisie. The couple’s startled reactions, etched with disbelief, highlight the tension between their cultivated world and the untamed wilderness. Daumier subtly underscores the ever-shifting dance between nature and culture, where ancient symbols resurface, carrying layers of accumulated meaning into the present.