Slager en zijn vrouw beklagen zich 1857

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph titled "Slager en zijn vrouw beklagen zich" or "Butcher and his wife complaining" with crayon and black ink. Look at how Daumier uses strong, directional lines to guide our eyes to the butcher who occupies the bottom left portion of the picture. The artist's draftsmanship creates a theatrical caricature of despair. The butcher's clenched fist, bulging eyes and hunched posture create a figure of self-recrimination. His wife standing behind him echoes this mood of despondency. Notice the hanging carcasses in the background that resemble human figures, and consider how Daumier destabilizes the boundary between man and animal. In doing so, he engages with questions about the structure of social relations and the precarious nature of human existence in industrializing Paris. The butcher's exaggerated grief hints at Daumier's broader commentary on morality, economics, and the human condition.