Ayant la prétention de faire partie du beau monde 1847

"Ayant la prétention de faire partie du beau monde" (1847) is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, a prominent French artist and social commentator. Part of the series “Les Bons Bourgeois,” the satirical print depicts a couple awkwardly attempting to fit in at a social gathering. The man's posture and the woman's overblown dress exaggerate the absurdity of their desire to be part of the "beautiful world," highlighting Daumier's keen observation of 19th-century Parisian society. Daumier's lithograph is a poignant example of his use of caricature to expose social hypocrisy and the aspirations of the nouveau riche.