A Neighbour Complaining about the Watering of his Lawn, plate ten from Les Bons Bourgeois 1846

This lithograph by Honoré Daumier, titled "A Neighbour Complaining about the Watering of his Lawn," captures a moment of urban discord. The composition is structured vertically, dividing the scene between the upper balcony with its neatly arranged flower pots, and the lower one where a figure is caught in a downpour, mouth agape. Daumier's use of line and shading directs our attention from the ordered, almost sterile setting above, to the chaotic, expressive figure below. The rain is rendered as a series of stark, vertical lines that act almost as a barrier, visually separating the two worlds. This division implies a critique of bourgeois society and the inherent tensions within its stratified spaces. The stark contrast between the meticulously cared-for flowers and the disheveled, complaining neighbor suggests a rupture in the perceived order. Daumier destabilizes conventional expectations of urban harmony, revealing underlying frictions. The lithograph serves as a sharp commentary on the absurdities of social class, captured through the formal relationships of line, space, and expression.