Artwork
What the bourgeois calls a slight distraction
What the bourgeois calls a slight distraction is a print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1846 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
This painting shows a man sitting at a desk, looking distracted.
He's surrounded by papers and seems to be daydreaming.
The scene is simple, but it tells us something about everyday life.
The artist is commenting on the people in power, the bourgeoisie.
This was a common theme in his work.
To learn more, look up the work of artist: Honoré Daumier (French, 1808–1879)
Overview
Published on 30 August 1846 in the satirical newspaper Le Charivari, this lithographic print appears as plate 14 in the series titled The Good Bourgeois. It is a modestly composed image that captures a moment of private distraction within a domestic setting.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts a man seated at a desk, surrounded by scattered papers, his gaze turned inward as if lost in thought. The portrayal suggests a fleeting lapse in concentration, offering a subtle critique of the complacency often associated with the middle‑class proprietor.
Technique & Style
Executed in the characteristic black‑and‑white lithographic technique favored by the artist, the work relies on crisp line work and minimal shading. The simplicity of the composition emphasizes the figure’s isolation and the everyday nature of the subject.
History & Provenance
Created by French artist Honoré Daumier (1808–1879), the print was part of his broader series that lampooned societal types. It circulated widely through the popular press of the period, reaching a readership familiar with Daumier’s satirical commentary.
Context
Daumier frequently turned his attention to the bourgeois class, using humor and observation to expose their pretensions. This image fits within that larger body of work, reflecting mid‑nineteenth‑century concerns about the moral and intellectual habits of the rising middle class.
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.
