Et plus un grain de poudre! ... c. 19th century

Here we see a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, titled "Et plus un grain de poudre! ...", a scene imbued with the symbolism of human folly. The central figure, a hunter, embodies the irony of the chase, desperately trying to load his rifle as a rabbit casually hops away. The rabbit itself is an ancient symbol, often associated with vulnerability and, paradoxically, with cunning and fertility. We find it in medieval bestiaries and Renaissance paintings, sometimes as a symbol of lust, other times as a representation of the hunted soul. Here, its nonchalant departure mocks the hunter's futile efforts, a visual commentary on incompetence. This echoes through time, recalling Aesop's fables where the quick-witted hare outsmarts the lumbering tortoise. Daumier taps into this collective memory, presenting a timeless scene of human inadequacy. The emotional weight of the image lies in its recognition of our own fallibility, a stark reminder of the gap between intention and reality. The symbol's cyclical journey continues, each retelling colored by the anxieties and aspirations of its age.