"- I wonder why this beast is following me all the time... I'll happily be paying 6 sous to jump on a bus," plate 1 from Émotions De Chasse
Medium
Lithograph in black on white wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 21.3 × 26.1 cm (8 7/16 × 10 5/16 in.); Sheet: 24.6 × 30.4 cm (9 11/16 × 12 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
34802
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier, a master of 19th-century French caricature, captures the absurdities of Parisian life in 1854 lithograph, the first plate from his series *Émotions Chasse* ("Hunting Emotions"). witty title—"I wonder why this beast following me all the time I'll happily be paying 6 sous to jump on a"—depicts a flustered bourgeois fleeing what is likely a relentless creditor or bailiff, the "beast" of debt shadowing his every step. Rendered in bold black ink on white wove paper (image 21.3 × 26.1 cm), it reflects Daumier's signature satirical bite, poking fun at the financial woes and social pre...
About the Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier · 1808–1879
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...