Artwork
Ah! Ma pauv' Madame Chaffarou ...
Ah! Ma pauv' Madame Chaffarou ... is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1857 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Ah!
About this work
This time he mocked panic over comets and space—back then people thought comets meant doom.
Two cloaked figures stand under a wild night sky. One points up while the other clutches their coat tight. A fiery cone of light shoots down from above, like a warning.
Daumier made this in 1857 as a lithograph. He loved mocking human fears, especially silly ones. This time he mocked panic over comets and space—back then people thought comets meant doom.
See how the comet looks like a dragon’s head? It’s meant to scare the viewer too. Check out more of Daumier, Honoré.
Overview
Ah! Ma pauv' Madame Chaffarou ... is a 1857 lithograph by Honoré Daumier, featuring two cloaked figures reacting to a dramatic night sky.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts two figures in conversation, responding to a celestial event: a comet resembling a dragon's head and a cone of light. Daumier satirizes human fear of comets, a common superstition at the time, using exaggerated expressions to convey the figures' alarm.
Technique & Style
The lithograph blends realistic representation of the figures with a fantastical, abstract depiction of the night sky, combining elements of realism and satire.
History & Provenance
Created in 1857, Ah! Ma pauv' Madame Chaffarou ... is a product of Daumier's practice of mocking human fears and follies through his art.
Context
The work reflects the public's fear of comets and celestial events during the mid-19th century, which were often associated with impending doom.
Own this work as a print
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.
