Le Retour a Paris 1852

This lithograph, titled "Le Retour à Paris," was made by Honoré Daumier. The most striking symbol here is the pointed nightcap worn by the man. This cap, once a common article of sleepwear, carries with it the weight of domesticity and vulnerability, a far cry from the glamour suggested by "Les Trains de Plaisir". This pointed cap is also reminiscent of a jester's hat or the hats worn by fools and dunces. In ancient Greece and Rome, similar headwear was associated with freedom. Yet, in Daumier’s Paris, it's become a symbol of domestic confinement and perhaps even ridicule. Consider how this symbol, which once signified liberty, has transformed to represent entrapment in the quotidian. The woman’s supine posture and closed eyes, combined with the man’s slumped shoulders and weary expression, speak to the psychological toll of leisure. This piece acts as a stark reminder that pleasure, when pursued without moderation, can lead to a deeper malaise.