Coachman, for the hand of our daughter!..., from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, June 6, 1867
June 6, 1867
Medium
Lithograph on newsprint; fourth state of four (Delteil)
Dimensions
Image: 10 1/16 in. × 9 in. (25.5 × 22.8 cm) Sheet: 12 1/4 × 12 3/16 in. (31.1 × 31 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
22.61.235
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Coachman, for the Hand Our Daughter!** is a sharp satirical lithograph by Honoré Daumier published in the French journal *Le Charivari* on June 6, 1867. Part of the "News of the Day", this fourth-state impression on newsprint captures Daumier's mastery of caricature during the Second Empire. Alongside collaborators like Destouches and Arnaud de Vresse, Daumier skewered the hypocrisies of bourgeois, often highlighting class tensions and mercenary marriages through exaggerated figures and witty captions. The image likely depicts a comically awkward marriage proposal involving a coachman, poking fun at social climbing or parental ambitions for their daughter's hand. Daumier's lithographic technique—bold, fluid lines and dynamic compositions on inexpensive newsprint—allowed for rapid production and wide circulation, making satire accessible to the masses. Measuring just 10 x 9 inches, its compact format suited the newspaper's daily format, amplifying its cultural bite amid France's political upheavals. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Rogers Fund, 1922), this work exemplifies 19th-century French printmaking's role in social commentary. Daumier's influence endures, reminding us how art can lampoon the absurdities of human ambition with humor and insight.
About the Artist
Destouches|Arnaud de Vresse|Honoré Daumier (French|French) · 1808 |1800 –1879 |1900
French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|Paris