“- Say then, Madme. Giboulard … don't you agree that it is not very pleasant for women of our gender, to come down like this everyday, cleaning the gutters of St. Honoré … - That's true, Madame Chaffarou, but we can also praise ourselves of being the only ones to embellish Paris!,” plate 75 from Caricatures Du Jour
Medium
Lithograph in black on white wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 22.9 × 17.8 cm (9 1/16 × 7 1/16 in.); Sheet: 34 × 26.2 cm (13 7/16 × 10 3/8 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
79628
Art Historical Context
In 1843, French caricaturist Honoréumier captured the gritty realities of Parisian street life in this lithograph, plate 75 from his series *Caricatures Jour*. Published amid the social upheavals of the July Monarchy, the print depicts two working-class women—Madame Giboulard and Chaffarou—perched precariously on ladders as they clean the gutters of Rue Saint-Honoré, a bustling artery of the city. Their witty dialogue reveals both drudgery and defiance: lamenting the daily toil while proudly claiming to "embellish Paris." Daumier, a master of social satire, used such scenes to humanize the urb...
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...