Bourgeois se fesant lire, après diner, quelques chapitres... 1847

Honoré Daumier's lithograph presents a study in contrasts, both visually and socially. A seated man with his head slumped over, seemingly dozing, occupies the left, while a young woman stands reading a book aloud to him on the right. The composition divides the scene vertically, highlighting the differing states of engagement between the figures. Daumier masterfully employs hatching and cross-hatching to sculpt forms and create tonal variations, enhancing the textures of fabric and skin. The stark linearity of the room's architecture contrasts with the softer, more rounded figures, emphasizing the psychological distance between the two characters. The semiotic language of the lithograph speaks to broader cultural codes of domesticity and leisure. The act of reading aloud serves as a signifier of education and refinement, juxtaposed against the man's evident disinterest. The contrast suggests a subtle critique of bourgeois values and the performative nature of social rituals. This tension between surface appearance and underlying reality resonates with Daumier's broader commentary on 19th-century French society.