Theater Plays in Beijing. The love for the theater in Beijing is reaching almost absurd dimensions, and strangely enough in all the plays it is about whether Mr. Alfred will marry Miss Josephine. There is no better proof for the stupidity of the Chinese people caused by opium, because they don't even realise that they see the same play every night and they stand in line in front of different theaters every day, worried that Miss Josephine marries Mr. Oscar without them attending the touching wedding ceremony, plate 27 from Voyage En Chine 1845

"Theater Plays in Beijing" is a lithograph by Honoré Daumier from his series *Voyage en Chine* created in 1845. The artwork depicts a satirical view of Chinese theatergoers, with the caption suggesting that they are obsessed with the same play and are fearful of missing a wedding between fictional characters Mr. Alfred and Miss Josephine. Daumier's work was known for its social commentary, and he used this piece to criticize the Chinese and their supposed obsession with foreign entertainment. The lithograph is a great example of Daumier's artistic skill and his ability to capture social and cultural moments with humor and insight. It is now part of the collection at the Art Institute of Chicago.