Artwork
Hi! hi! ... Il m'a léché le beurre de ma tartine
Hi! hi! ... Il m'a léché le beurre de ma tartine is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1867 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph presents a close‑up of two exaggerated faces, one diminutive and anxious with an open mouth, the other larger, wearing a spiked helmet and a scowling grin. The stark, sketch‑like lines emphasize the caricature’s biting tone.
Subject & Meaning
The work satirizes mid‑19th‑century politics, targeting the German Confederation. The smaller, distressed figure symbolizes the weakening German states, while the dominant, helmeted figure conveys a confrontational, triumphant stance, reflecting Daumier’s critique of power shifts.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the print relies on bold, scratchy contours and stark contrasts that give the image a raw, almost unfinished quality. Daumier’s linear approach heightens the grotesque humor and reinforces the immediacy of the political commentary.
History & Provenance
Created in the 1860s, the piece belongs to Daumier’s series of politically charged prints that used satire to comment on contemporary events. Its title, a playful reference to “butter licked off a slice of bread,” served as a coded allusion to the decline of German authority.
Context
During the 1860s, Europe experienced significant upheaval, with the German Confederation’s influence waning amid rising nationalist movements. Daumier, known for his incisive social commentary, employed the popular medium of lithographic cartoon to disseminate his views to a broad audience.
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.
