Souvenir de Ste. Pélagie 14 - 1834

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, "Souvenir de Ste. Pélagie," in 19th-century France. It shows three men in what appears to be a prison cell. The image evokes themes of confinement, injustice, and perhaps political repression, all while hinting at the social and political context of France during that time. Daumier was a social satirist, known for his caricatures of French society, and often used his art to comment on the social structures of his time. The name Ste. Pélagie may be an illusion to the prison of that name, used to detain debtors and political prisoners. The Catholic church, which would ordinarily stand for mercy, is represented by one of the characters. Is he complicit or compassionate? The artwork might be seen as a critique of the institutions of art and power. The social conditions that shaped artistic production in 19th-century France were deeply intertwined with political movements, social class, and economic structures. Art historians rely on primary source material to better understand the social and institutional context.