Allons, v'la encore le mouton qui a haussé c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier made this lithograph depicting a butcher and a woman in distress because of the price of meat. The composition is structured by the stark contrast between the foreground figures and the hanging carcasses in the background. Daumier's use of line—notice the frantic, scribbled shading—creates a sense of unease and immediacy. The figures' expressions, rendered with exaggerated features, convey shock and despair, amplifying the scene's emotional impact. The semiotic interplay here is fascinating: meat typically represents nourishment and life, but Daumier uses it to symbolize economic hardship and social imbalance. The rising price of mutton becomes a signifier of broader societal struggles, challenging conventional values and highlighting the instability of everyday life. The butchered animals point to a breakdown of social contracts and the loss of innocence within the economic structure. Daumier critiques consumerism and social inequality, revealing the inherent tensions within 19th-century French society.