Artwork
Ah! ça mais... arriverons-nous bientôt?
Ah! ça mais... arriverons-nous bientôt? is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1847 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1847, this lithograph on newsprint exemplifies Honoré Daumier’s prolific work for French periodicals. Produced during the turbulent years of the July Monarchy and the early Second Republic, the print employs sharp caricature to comment on contemporary power structures.
Subject & Meaning
The image shows an older woman standing in a doorway, gazing down at a man collapsed on the floor. Dressed in a long skirt and apron, the woman appears to be offering assistance, while the prone figure, in hat and coat, looks vulnerable. The juxtaposition of upright aid and fallen weakness underscores a moral tension that Daumier often used to critique societal hierarchies.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph on cheap newsprint, the work relies on bold line work and stark contrast to convey drama. Daumier’s characteristic exaggeration of posture and expression aligns with the satirical realism that marked his prints, while the emotional intensity hints at Romantic influences prevalent in mid‑19th‑century French visual culture.
History & Provenance
The print was originally published in one of Daumier’s regular outlets, such as *La Caricature* or *Le Charivari*, where he routinely targeted the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy. Its survival on newsprint reflects the disposable nature of the medium, yet the image has been preserved through later collections of Daumier’s political lithographs.
Context
Daumier’s republican sympathies informed his visual attacks on the ruling elite during a period of political upheaval. By portraying ordinary figures in distress, he highlighted the human cost of authoritarian rule, aligning his work with broader mid‑century debates over democracy and social justice in France.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the Revolution of 1830 to the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870.
Inconvénient de visiter sans précaution un entresol...
Ma femme est-elle a la maison?
Votre visite a été bien courte ...
Le Cordon donc!...
Un Locataire qui paie exactement son terme
Eh! Qu'est-ce qu'il y a de nouveau? ...
Un quiproquo - Vous vous trompez... allez... au diable...
Le Cordon donc!...
M'sieu, c'est une lettre de trois sous ...
Une Nouvelle connaissance
Vingt sous de denier a Dieu...
V'la un particulier qui doit ...être inquiet ...