Inconvénient d'envoyer un mauvais tableau... 1848

"Inconvénient d'envoyer un mauvais tableau..." (The Inconvenience of Sending a Bad Painting), a lithograph by Honoré Daumier, is a satirical commentary on the art world of 19th-century France. The artwork depicts a disgruntled patron confronting an artist in his studio, a common theme in Daumier's oeuvre. The artist, seated in a chair, appears dejected, while the patron, standing and gesticulating, expresses his displeasure with the commissioned painting, highlighting the social and financial pressures faced by artists during this period. Daumier’s keen observation of human nature and his sharp social commentary, often expressed through caricature, made him a prominent figure in the Realist art movement.