Madame, j'ai bien l'honneur! 1848

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph to be published in a series of satirical prints that appeared in the French newspapers in the mid-19th century. The cartoon shows a painter, his assistant, and a model standing in front of a large canvas. Daumier’s art is rooted in the rapidly changing social and political landscape of 19th-century France. It was a time marked by industrialization, urbanization, and shifting class structures. The artist comments on the social structures of his time by satirizing the art world and its conventions, hinting at its elitism. The figure of the artist has a certain age and an upper-class appearance that emphasizes the historical association of art with wealth and privilege. The model is standing on blocks so that the painter can see her from his position and that could be a reflection on the exploitation of labor and the commodification of the human form within the art market. To understand this work better, we can analyze the original prints published in the newspapers. The study of these resources helps us to understand how art reflects and shapes our understanding of society.