Merci! Ce monsieur m'invite a chasser ...
1843
Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of Dr. Armand Hammer)
Accession Number
2015.143.319
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier’s lithograph *Merci! Ce monsieur m'invite a chasser...* (1843) captures a moment of wry social satire, with its title translating to “Thank you! This gentleman me to hunt…” The French artist, a master caricaturist, skewers the pretensions of the bourgeoisie during the July Monarchy under Louis-Philippe. Daier’s expressive figures—a fashionable woman and her suitor—highlight class aspirations and the absurdities of high-society rituals like hunting, a pastime reserved for the elite. As a lithograph, the work exemplifies Daumier’s prowess in this revolutionary printmaking techniq...
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...