“I'm guarding city hall" 1822

Honoré Daumier created "I'm guarding city hall" using lithography, a medium well-suited to satire, which he employed to comment on French society. Daumier lived through a tumultuous period in French history marked by revolution and social upheaval. Here, Daumier presents us with a group of national guardsmen, their postures suggesting a mix of boredom and discomfort. The broken window and graffiti-covered wall hint at the social unrest simmering beneath the surface of early 19th-century France. Are these men protectors of order, or are they symbols of a state struggling to maintain control? Daumier challenges us to think about the relationship between those in power and the people they are meant to serve. The artist’s satirical eye invites a critical examination of authority, class, and the everyday realities of life during a time of great social change.