Departure for Spain. “He will mount! he will not mount! he will mount! and no, he will not mount!!!,” plate 498 1835

“Departure for Spain. “He will mount! he will not mount! he will mount! and no, he will not mount!!!”,” plate 498, is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier from 1835. The print depicts a comical scene of a man struggling to mount a horse, surrounded by several people, who are trying to help him, creating an exaggerated, chaotic scene. Daumier, a prolific artist and social commentator, used his art to critique the social and political issues of his time, and this lithograph likely satirizes the French government's involvement in Spain's political turmoil. The artwork, now part of the Art Institute of Chicago's collection, is a testament to Daumier’s keen eye for social satire and his mastery of lithography.