Vous voila maintenant passe citoyen c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, titled "Vous voilà maintenant passé citoyen" - "Now you are a citizen" - as part of his satirical series "Actualités," reflecting the socio-political landscape of 19th-century France. Here, Daumier critiques the bourgeoisie through the lens of domesticity and pet ownership. The man, holding his dog, speaks of the pet's new status as a tax-payer and "almost a member of the family." The woman sits passively by, embodying the restrictive roles assigned to women in that era. "It's no longer a matter of leading a dog's life," the man declares, "or I will be obliged, for the honor of our two names, to have you locked up in a house of correction until your oldest age!" Daumier uses the image of the pampered dog as a symbol of bourgeois values, and a tool to expose the emptiness of their social conventions. The humor in Daumier's work isn't just for laughs; it's a pointed commentary on power dynamics and the absurdity of class distinctions. In this way, Daumier invites us to reflect on what it means to be a ‘citizen’ and to question who truly benefits from the privileges of citizenship.