Il se plaint de rentrer... 1866

Honoré Daumier’s lithograph presents two figures, one reluctantly entering “Collège” and the other, a soldier, stumbling towards “Marcraviat”, a possible reference to a military camp. The soldier’s disheveled appearance and exaggerated gesture connect to the ancient motif of the drunken reveler, a figure that extends back to classical bacchanals. This archetype, embodying excess and altered states, resurfaces through history, from medieval carnivals to Renaissance paintings. The college, as a space of structure and learning, contrasts with the lack of control of the camp or the state of drunkenness of the subject. This juxtaposition speaks to a timeless tension between order and chaos. The exaggerated expression of this figure, almost a grotesque caricature, taps into a deep, subconscious understanding of emotional release, reminding us that even in laughter, there is a shadow of vulnerability. The motif of the inebriated figure is not just a comical representation, but a mirror reflecting our own human struggles.