M'sieu... que c'est tannant d'avoir la colique quand...
1846
Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1946.21.273
Art Historical Context
Honoré Daumier, a masterful French caricaturist of the 19th century, created *M'sieu... que c'est tannant d'avoir la colique quand...* in 1846 as a lithograph, part of his prolific output for satirical journals like *Le Charivari*. During the July Monarchy under King Louis-Philippe, Daumier skewered the pretensions of the bourgeoisie and political elite through exaggerated, empathetic depictions of everyday life. This print captures a moment of comic misery—likely a hapless figure lamenting the agony of colic (severe abdominal pain)—highlighting the artist's keen eye for human vulnerability an...
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...