In convénient de se batir une maison de campagne ... c. 19th century

Here we see a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, depicting a bourgeois man contemplating the flooded landscape surrounding his country house. Daumier, working in 19th century France, often used his art to critique the social and political landscape. This image encapsulates the hubris of the rising middle class, eager to acquire status symbols like country homes, but perhaps not so eager to understand the land upon which they build. The flood could be seen as a metaphor for the unpredictable nature of life and the illusion of control that wealth can create. The man, dressed in his formal attire, complete with top hat and umbrella, embodies the urban elite. He seems out of place, almost comical, in the face of nature’s power. There's a tension between his attempt to maintain decorum and the obvious discomfort of his situation. Daumier invites us to reflect on the relationship between humanity and nature, and the often-presumptuous ways in which we try to control the world around us.