Le Jour n'est pas plus pur... 1841

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph titled ‘Le Jour n'est pas plus pur…’ which translates to ‘The day is no more pure…’ during a time of significant social and political upheaval in France. Daumier, deeply affected by these changes, used his art as a form of social commentary. This print, part of his series "Physionomies Tragico-Classiques," presents two figures with exaggerated features. One appears angry and the other shocked, and both seem to be caught in a moment of intense emotion. Daumier masterfully uses caricature to critique classical tragedy, challenging its idealized portrayals of human nature. Daumier’s focus on the raw, unfiltered expressions of his subjects reflects a broader interest in the realities of human experience, diverging from the more polished, romanticized art of the time. The intensity in their eyes and the tension in their postures invites us to consider the complexities of human emotion, urging us to question the stories we tell ourselves about virtue and vice.