Trois saints dans le même bénitier

Created as a lithograph, the image relies on the medium’s capacity for bold line work and tonal variation. Daumier employs stark contrasts and exaggerated proportions to heighten the caricature, while the decorative basin provides a classical backdrop that juxtaposes the absurdity of the figures. The print’s crisp outlines and limited palette reinforce its satirical tone.

Daumier produced this print in the mid‑19th century, a period marked by his prolific output of social and political caricatures. The work was circulated among the artist’s contemporaries as part of his broader commentary on French institutions. Specific ownership records are sparse, but the lithograph has appeared in several exhibitions of Daumier’s prints.

The lithograph emerges from a time when French primary education was undergoing reforms, and public criticism of teachers was common. Daumier’s reputation as a social commentator informed his choice to target the classroom, aligning the piece with his other works that lampooned authority figures, from jurists to police.

While not among Daumier’s most widely reproduced images, the print exemplifies his skill in merging humor with social observation. It continues to be referenced in studies of 19th‑century French satire and in discussions of how visual art can critique educational practices.