Un victime de la politesse c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier’s “Un Victime de la Politesse” is a lithograph that offers a glimpse into 19th-century French society. Published in "Le Charivari," Daumier's satirical eye was often aimed at the bourgeoisie. Here, we see a concert audience where the weight of social expectations presses down on its members. The central figure seems to be caught between the desire to express genuine feelings, and the compulsion to conform to polite applause. Daumier highlights the tension of performing respectability. His work cuts through the pretense, revealing a raw, almost pained expression. The audience, a sea of mostly male faces, embodies the stifling norms of the time. Through his caricatures, Daumier critiques the absurdities of class and the emotional confinement of the era. It makes you wonder about all the other little ways we’re coerced into performing roles.