Ah! Fouchtrra! ... Ma femme ...
1841
Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of Dr. Armand Hammer)
Accession Number
2015.143.932
Art Historical Context
**Ah! Fouchtrra! ... Ma ...** (1841) is a lively lithograph by Honoréumier, the master of 19th-century French satire. Printed during the July Monarchy, this work captures Daumier's signature style: exaggerated expressions and dynamic compositions that poke fun at everyday life. The title's phonetic outburst—"Ah! Fouchtrra! ... My wife—hints at a comedic domestic mishap, likely skewering marital woes or bourgeois pretensions with Daumier's trademark wit. As a lithograph, the piece showcases the medium's revolutionary potential for mass reproduction, allowing Daumier's sharp social commentary t...
About the Artist
Honoré Daumier · 1810–1879
Honoré-Victorin Daumier (1808-1879) was a prolific French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor whose works offered incisive commentary on the social and political life of 19th-century France. Known as the 'Michelangelo of Caricature,' Daumier produced over 4,000 lithographs, 500 paintings, 1,000 drawings, and 100 sculptures during his lifetime. His biting political satire led to his imp...