Artwork
Trust me! Take my arm...
Trust me! Take my arm... is a print by the Impressionist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1866 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This 1866 print, titled 'Trust me!
About this work
A man in a top hat offers his arm to a woman on a cobblestone street. The woman hesitates, her expression unsure. Dark shadows stretch across the scene.
Daumier was a political cartoonist before he became known as a painter. This print pokes fun at upper-class manners. The woman’s doubt hints at social games of the time.
Look up Honoré Daumier (French, 1808–1879) next.
Overview
This 1866 print, titled 'Trust me! Take my arm...', is part of the 'News of the Day' series published in Le Charivari. It depicts a scene of social interaction between a man and a woman on a cobblestone street.
Subject & Meaning
The print shows a top-hatted man offering his arm to a hesitant woman, her uncertain expression suggesting underlying social complexities. The scene satirizes upper-class etiquette, implying the navigations and pretenses of contemporary social dynamics.
Technique & Style
Characterized by dark shadows, the print's composition reflects Daumier's ability to convey nuanced emotion through simple, expressive forms, a hallmark of his work as both a political cartoonist and painter.
History & Provenance
Published on September 22, 1866, as plate 181 in Le Charivari, this work is part of Daumier's later output, following his establishment as a political cartoonist and preceding his wider recognition as a painter.
Context
Created during a period of social change, the print comments on the formalities and uncertainties of upper-class interactions, leveraging Daumier's experience in political satire to critique everyday social norms.
Legacy
As part of Daumier's diverse oeuvre, 'Trust me! Take my arm...' contributes to his legacy as an observer of 19th-century French society, highlighting the enduring relevance of his social commentary across mediums.
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.
