“My sister was saying yesterday, she thinks you are just too ugly!,” plate 37 from Croquis D 'expressions Possibly 1838

This lithograph, "My sister was saying yesterday, she thinks you are just too ugly!" was made by Honoré Daumier. Here, Daumier deployed the lithographic process—drawing with a greasy crayon on a stone matrix, then using acid to fix the design. Lithography was perfectly suited to mass production, allowing images to be circulated widely in newspapers and journals. Consider how the rapid strokes of the crayon animate the scene, giving it a feeling of immediacy. Daumier masterfully captured the expressions and social dynamics of his time. The acid-etching process leaves a slightly raised surface, catching the light and accentuating the contrast between the figures and the background. This imbues the work with a tactile quality, despite its origins in industrial reproduction. Daumier wasn't just making art; he was making commentary, using the tools of mass production to reach a broad audience, blurring the lines between art, journalism, and social critique. This print reminds us that art can be both a product of its time and a powerful agent of change.