At a usurer's, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, March 21, 1865

Art Historical Context

Step into the sharp-w world of 19th French satire with *At Usurer's*, a lith published in the daily newspaperLe Charivari* March 21, 1865. Created Honoré Daumier collaboration with Destouches and Aaron Martinet, this captures Daumier's mastery of caricature, skewering the greed of moneylenders amid France's booming Second Empire economy. *Le Charivari*, a hub for political and social commentary since the 1830s, made Daumier's biting illustrations accessible to the masses, often critiquing corruption and inequality. The scene likely depicts a tense encounter between a desperate borrower and a shrewd usurer, embodying Daumier's signature style: exaggerated expressions, dynamic poses, and unflinching social critique. As a lithograph on newsprint—the second state of two, per Delteil's catalog—this affordable medium allowed for rapid production and wide distribution, amplifying its cultural punch. Printed on modest paper (sheet: 11 3/16 × 9 13/16 in.), it reflects the era's journalistic urgency, where art met activism. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Rogers Fund, 1922), this work endures as a testament to Daumier's influence on graphic satire, reminding us how 1860s financial woes echo through time. A clever jab at human folly, perfectly sized for a pocket or a protest.

About the Artist

Destouches|Aaron Martinet|Honoré Daumier (French|French) · 1808 |1800 –1879 |1900

French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|Paris