Who painted Madame, j'ai bien l'honneur!?

Madame, j'ai bien l'honneur! was painted by Honoré Daumier in 1848.

Where can I see Madame, j'ai bien l'honneur!?

Madame, j'ai bien l'honneur! is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Madame, j'ai bien l'honneur!?

Madame, j'ai bien l'honneur! is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Madame, j'ai bien l'honneur!

Honoré Daumier , 1848

Madame, j'ai bien l'honneur! 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 forms part of his extensive output of satirical prints for Parisian periodicals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari. The image depicts a cramped interior where three figures interact, rendered with loose, rapid lines that convey a sense of immediacy typical of newspaper caricature.

Subject & Meaning

The scene shows an older gentleman in a long coat leaning forward, cane in hand, addressing a woman in a full dress, while a third man offers a tray with a plate and bottle. The composition suggests a private conversation, possibly a negotiation or instruction, reflecting Daumier’s interest in everyday social exchanges and the power dynamics within them.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithography, the work employs exaggerated gestures and simplified forms, hallmarks of mid‑nineteenth‑century press caricature. Daumier’s sketch‑like line work and the faint background drawings on the walls enhance the hurried, observational quality of the print.

History & Provenance

The lithograph was produced for circulation in the republican‑leaning newspapers of the 1848 revolutionary period, a time when Daumier regularly targeted the monarchy, aristocracy, and clergy. Its original distribution through the press linked it directly to contemporary political discourse.

Context

Emerging amid the upheavals of the French Second Republic, the print reflects Daumier’s democratic sympathies. By portraying ordinary figures in a modest setting, the image aligns with his broader critique of social hierarchy and the institutions that upheld it.

Artist & collection

Artist

Honoré Daumier

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.