L'heure de la rentrée en classe

The work satirizes the authority of adult figures over youth, using caricature to highlight the absurdity of a gruff instructor imposing order on pupils. By amplifying the teacher’s nose and the children’s varied expressions, Daumier comments on the power dynamics inherent in education and, more broadly, on societal hierarchies that rely on intimidation and spectacle.

Executed in lithography, the image was produced by drawing directly onto a limestone surface with greasy ink, then transferring the design onto paper. Daumier’s characteristic bold contrasts and precise line work give the scene a crisp, graphic quality, while the exaggerated features and fluid contours recall the visual language of contemporary political cartoons.

Created in 1849, the print belongs to the period when Daumier was actively publishing satirical illustrations in French newspapers. A later acquisition placed the work in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where it remains on view for public study.

The lithograph emerges from mid‑nineteenth‑century France, a time of political upheaval and expanding public education. Daumier’s practice of lampooning authority figures aligns with the broader tradition of social critique in the press, reflecting contemporary anxieties about discipline, conformity, and the role of the teacher in shaping civic values.