Artwork
Les maris ne sont pas ce qu'un vain peuple pense!
Les maris ne sont pas ce qu'un vain peuple pense! 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
This lithograph shows a woman in a fancy dress pointing her finger at a man in a suit, her face twisted in anger.
This lithograph shows a woman in a fancy dress pointing her finger at a man in a suit, her face twisted in anger. He stands stiff, hat in hand, looking down.
Daumier made this in 1848 during a wave of revolutions across Europe. The title mocks the idea that husbands are always proper. It’s a sharp look at marriage and power.
See how the artist’s hand shows up in every scratch. Check out more by Daumier, Honoré.
Overview
Les maris ne sont pas ce qu'un vain peuple pense! is a lithograph created by Honoré Daumier in 1848.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a confrontation between a woman in a fancy dress and a man in a suit, highlighting the contrast between their behaviors and societal expectations of men and women at the time.
Technique & Style
The lithograph showcases Daumier's characteristic hatching technique, with visible scratches that reveal the artist's hand.
Context
Created during a period of European revolutions, the work critiques societal norms, specifically the notion of husbands being proper and authoritative figures.
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.
