Pas étonnant que ce soit long ... c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph, titled "No wonder it's so long..." in France, as a print for a newspaper. Its theme is the endless bureaucratic process. The image depicts a hand holding a quill, poised over an enormous ledger. The book is titled "Commission d'Enquet" or Commission of Inquiry, and the pages are filled with lines of text that have been heavily marked out and corrected. The lower caption says "No wonder it's so long with so many deletions." Daumier was known for his satirical commentary on French society and politics during the 19th century, and for the ways that he tested institutional boundaries. His prints appeared regularly in journals like "Le Charivari,". Here, Daumier uses the visual language of caricature to mock the ponderousness and inefficiency of official investigations. His work can be read as a commentary on the increasing complexity and bureaucratization of modern life. To further understand the context, one might research the political climate of France at the time, as well as the role of the press and of caricature as a form of social critique. These resources would reveal the ways that Daumier's art engaged with and challenged the social structures of his time.