Artwork
Ma femme... ça mord... ça mord!
Ma femme... ça mord... ça mord! is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1846 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1846, this lithographic print on newsprint bears the French caption *Ma femme… ça mord… ça mord!
About this work
Overview
Created in 1846, this lithographic print on newsprint bears the French caption *Ma femme… ça mord… ça mord!* The work presents a brief, humorous scene that juxtaposes a fisherman’s mishap with a domestic tableau, reflecting the artist’s penchant for swift, newspaper‑ready satire.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a man in a broad‑brimmed hat kneeling by a river, fishing rod in hand, while a woman and child observe from beneath a tree. The caption, translating to “My wife… it bites… it bites!,” turns a simple fishing frustration into a playful jab at marital or household irritations, hinting at broader social tensions.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on the immediacy of the medium, allowing bold lines and stark contrasts suitable for rapid reproduction on cheap paper. Daumier’s characteristic caricatural exaggeration is evident in the figures’ gestures, emphasizing humor through visual economy.
History & Provenance
The print emerged from Daumier’s prolific output for satirical journals such as *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari*, where he regularly lampooned the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy. Produced for newspaper circulation, the work exemplifies his practice of delivering timely commentary through inexpensive, widely distributed prints.
Context
Mid‑19th‑century France was marked by political upheaval and shifting social norms. Daumier’s prints often mirrored these currents, using everyday scenes to critique authority and domestic life. This piece, with its light‑hearted tone, nonetheless reflects the period’s undercurrents of domestic strain and public discourse.
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.
Dire que ça si dandine avec un petit air...
Ca mord, quelle chance! Je vous défends ...
Reviens y donc encore ... grand enjeoleu! ...
Dites donc, not'maire ... des communistes qué qu'c'est ça?
Un léger coup de vent
Ne l'effraye pas Eudoxie...
Aspect de la Seine de Paris a chatou
Et plus un grain de poudre! ...
C'est bien décidé ... Je ne chasserai plus avec vous! ...
Une promenade conjugale
Malheureux enfant! ... Ca t'appendra a faire ...
Ma femme... ça mord... ça mord!