A Gentleman Who Wanted to Study the Habits of Bees too Closely, plate 6 from Pastorales 1845

This lithograph by Honoré Daumier presents a scene of comical, chaotic retreat. Here, the bees, those ancient symbols of industry and community, swarm with an almost vengeful energy. Consider the motif of the swarm itself. From the Old Testament plagues to present-day horror films, the swarm embodies primal fears of being overwhelmed. The image resonates with deep-seated anxieties about nature's unpredictable power. Notice how Daumier captures the gentleman's desperate flight, a universal gesture of panic. We see echoes of this motif in various artistic traditions. Think of the bacchanals of ancient art, where wild abandon threatens to consume the individual. Daumier taps into this tradition, presenting a modern version of nature's uprising. The bees, no longer symbols of sweetness, become agents of chaos. This print reminds us that even the most diligent scholar can fall prey to the untamed forces of the natural world. A humbling lesson, indeed!