Tout est perdu! Fors la caisse
1848
Medium
lithograph
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection
Accession Number
2015.143.1477
Art Historical Context
**Tout est perdu! Fors la caisse** (1848) is a sharp satirical lithograph by Honoré Daumier, a master of 19th-century French caricature. Created amid the revolutionary fervor of 1848, when Parisians rose up against King Louis-Philippe's July Monarchy, the title—"Everything is lost! Except the cashbox"—captures Daumier's biting commentary on corruption. The image likely depicts panicked elites clutching their money amid chaos, highlighting the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie as social order crumbled. Daumier, a pioneer of Realism in printmaking, excelled in lithography, a technique that allowed a...
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...