Artwork
Je n'métonne pas si les femmes ont... du goût...
Je n'métonne pas si les femmes ont... du goût... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1848, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier presents a modestly detailed scene of a man and a woman seated together on a bench. The male figure, topped with a hat and holding a cane, faces his companion, who wears a long skirt and coat. A distant soldier in uniform walks away, adding a subtle narrative layer to the composition.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a moment of bourgeois interaction, using the couple’s dialogue to satirize prevailing attitudes toward class and gender. Daumier’s exaggerated gestures and facial expressions highlight the pretensions of the middle class, while the presence of the military figure hints at the broader social and political tensions of the period.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the print relies on a grayscale palette, employing a range of light and dark tones to model forms and suggest depth. Daumier’s line work is brisk yet precise, allowing the figures to emerge with a sense of immediacy. The style reflects his caricatural approach, blending realistic detail with satirical exaggeration.
History & Provenance
Daumier produced the lithograph during the turbulent years of the July Monarchy and the early Second Republic, a time when he contributed regularly to satirical journals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari. The print circulated as part of his broader critique of French society, reaching a readership attuned to political commentary.
Context
The image aligns with Daumier’s commitment to republican ideals, using humor to expose the contradictions of the French elite. Its depiction of everyday leisure activities mirrors the growing public interest in social observation, a hallmark of mid‑nineteenth‑century French art and literature.
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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.
I am not surprised women are still fond of men in uniform.
Ce satané Pigochard...
ce qui prouve que quand on fait...patrouille...
Ayant faitartie des muscadins sous le directoire
Ce n'est pas sous l"empire qu'on aurait dansé comme ca! ...
Oui, chère amie, jaloux tant que tu voudras!...
Le Ramasseur de bouts de cigares
Parisien transportant dans un autre quartier...
Mossieu Rabourdeau ... je ne parlerai plus politique avec vous ..
Désolé, citoyenne... je ne reçois pas de chiens...