Oui, monsieur Chapuzot...

Art Historical Context

Honoré Daumier's *Oui, monsieur Chapuzot* (1852) is a sharp lithograph that captures the artist's signature satirical bite. As a leading French caricaturist of the 19th century, Daum produced over 4,000 lithographs, skewering the bourgeoisie, lawyers, and politicians during the turbulent Second Republic. This print, part of the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection (Department CG-E), likely draws from his *Les Gens de Justice* series, poking fun at the pompous legal world with exaggerated expressions and dynamic compositions. Lithography was Daumier's ideal medium—affordable, reproducible, and perfect for mass commentary in newspapers like *Le Charivari*. The title's deferential "Yes, sir Chapuzot..." hints at a courtroom farce, where obsequious clerks or witnesses humorously deflate authority figures amid France's social upheavals leading to Napoleon III's rise. Daumier's realist style, blending caricature with acute social observation, made his works both entertaining and incisive critiques of inequality. Housed in the National Gallery of Art, this piece exemplifies how prints democratized art, reaching everyday audiences and influencing later satirical traditions. A witty window into 1850s Parisian life, it reminds us of Daumier's enduring power to laugh at power.

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...