Twee leden van de Nationale Garde beklagen zich bij elkaar 1838

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, Two Members of the National Guard Complaining to Each Other, using pen and black ink. During the 19th century in France, the National Guard was typically composed of middle-class men. Daumier's print captures a moment of apparent discontent between two such guardsmen, identifiable by their uniforms, seated at a small table, likely in a cafe. Their intense expressions and body language convey a sense of frustration or complaint, perhaps about their duties or the political climate. Daumier's choice to depict these men in a state of unease subtly critiques the social order and the idealized image of civic duty often associated with the National Guard. Daumier, who was himself briefly a member of the National Guard, often used his art to explore themes of social injustice and the everyday lives of ordinary people, reflecting his own sympathies and observations. The emotional tension and relatable subject matter invites us to reflect on our own experiences of disillusionment.