Karikatuur van een man bij de buste van zijn vrouw 1844

This is Honoré Daumier’s lithograph, *Karikatuur van een man bij de buste van zijn vrouw* which can be found in the Rijksmuseum collection. Observe how Daumier uses stark contrasts and dynamic lines to construct this intimate, yet critical, domestic scene. The somber mood is conveyed through the monochromatic palette and the artist’s emphasis on shadow. Daumier uses the caricatured form to explore societal themes and underlying power structures within relationships. The rigid, stone bust of the wife contrasts sharply with the soft, yielding figure of the husband in his patterned dressing gown. The use of exaggerated features underscores a critical commentary on bourgeois marriage and the husband's subservient role. Note the fine hatching and cross-hatching which build up tonal depth and volume. These structural elements are not merely descriptive; they actively shape the narrative, inviting viewers to decode the semiotic interplay between form and social critique.