Vas-tu te taire avec tes Cocoricos... 1845

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, a form of printmaking, sometime in the mid-19th century. It encapsulates the contradictions of urban dwellers seeking respite in the countryside. The image depicts a couple in bed, disturbed by the early morning crowing of a rooster. Daumier, working in France, frequently critiqued the bourgeoisie and their aspirations. The “pastoral” scene is far from idyllic; instead, it’s a humorous take on the clash between urban expectations and rural realities. The work speaks to the growing urbanization of France at the time and the romanticized, often unrealistic, views city dwellers held about country life. Institutional critique is subtle here, but present in the way the artist plays with and subverts the conventions of landscape imagery. To understand Daumier's work more fully, one can research the history of printmaking in France and consider the role of satirical art in shaping public opinion. The archives of newspapers such as "Le Charivari," where Daumier published much of his work, offer invaluable insights into the social and political context of his art.