"Article 231. The husband needs to protect his wife, the wife needs to obey her husband" from Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals 1832 - 1852

"Article 231. The husband needs to protect his wife, the wife needs to obey her husband" is a lithograph from the series *Scenes from the Private and Public Life of Animals*, created by the French artist J. J. Grandville between 1832 and 1852. This satirical print depicts a group of insects dressed in human clothing, with a stag beetle presiding over a legal proceedings. The print satirizes the societal norms and traditional gender roles of the time, placing animals in situations that are meant to be seen as ridiculous and absurd. The lithograph offers a unique perspective on the relationship between man and woman during the 19th century. This particular plate, now part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a witty commentary on marital laws, emphasizing the traditional power dynamic between the sexes.