An Awkward Situation, plate 52 from Les Bons Bourgeois 1847

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, “An Awkward Situation,” as part of his series “Les Bons Bourgeois,” or “The Good Middle Class”. Made in 19th century France, the image depicts a bourgeois man struggling with the trappings of his status. We see the man juggling wine bottles, dress shoes and his hat flies away. Meanwhile, other bourgeois figures seem unbothered by his struggles. Daumier uses this scene to comment on the values of the bourgeoisie, who had become the dominant class in France. He critiques their self-importance and the absurdity of their social rituals. Studying Daumier’s art through the lens of social history requires us to consider the cultural and economic conditions of his time. We can analyze how Daumier's work reflects or subverts the prevailing attitudes toward class, wealth, and social mobility in 19th century France.