"- How are you feeling today, Mr. Chapolard? - Madame Pochet, a concierge who knows how to behave, should address her landlord only in the third person. - How can I talk to you in the third person, since you are the first person I am seeing this morning," plate 11 from Croquis Parisiens 1852

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph titled "- How are you feeling today, Mr. Chapolard?" in the 19th century. The print captures a stark interaction between a landlord and his concierge. Daumier’s use of line and shadow shapes the narrative. Notice how the landlord is drawn with straighter lines, and stands upright and aloof. By contrast, Madame Pochet is rendered with curved lines and is leaning on a broom, looking up at the landlord in a posture of subordination. These formal choices create a sense of social tension and hierarchy. The composition is structured to emphasize the power dynamic between the figures. The landlord is positioned on the left, seemingly blocking the concierge in her doorway, drawn on the right, and further sets her back. This creates a visual metaphor for their unequal relationship. Daumier cleverly uses visual elements to critique social norms and power structures within Parisian society, inviting us to reflect on the subtle ways language and posture reflect class distinctions.