“- Taxi Monsieur? Taxi? - I don't even have enough to walk,” plate 8 from Émotions De Parisiens
Medium
Lithograph, with scraping on stone on ivory wove paper, with letterpress verso
Dimensions
Image: 25.1 × 19.1 cm (9 15/16 × 7 9/16 in.); Sheet: 33.1 × 23.6 cm (13 1/16 × 9 5/16 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
180757
Art Historical Context
In 1839, French artist Honoré Daumier captured the gritty pulse of Parisian street life in this lithograph, plate 8 from his series *Émotions Parisiens*. The title—“Taxi Monsieur? Taxi? - don't even have enough to”—encapsulates a witty yet poignant exchange between a persistent cab driver and a destitute pedestrian, highlighting the stark economic divides of July Monarchy Paris. Daumier, a prolific caricaturist and social critic produced over 4,000 lithographs that skewered the pretensions and hardships of urban society, often drawing from his own experiences as a working-class artist. Render...
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...