Comment, c'est dans cette cave que ...

Art Historical Context

Honoré Daumier's *Comment, c'est dans cette que...* (1857) is a captivating lithograph that exemplifies the artist's sharp satirical wit during France's Second Empire. Daumier, a prolific 19th-century printmaker caricaturist, produced over 4,000 lithographs, published in journals like *Le Charivari*. This work, with its incomplete title suggesting a moment of comic surprise—perhaps in a dingy cellar—likely pokes fun at bourgeois pretensions or everyday absurdities, a hallmark of his social commentary. Created amid political censorship under Napoleon III, Daumier's lithography allowed subtle critiques of class divides, legal farce, and urban life. The medium itself was revolutionary: invented in the late 18th century, it enabled affordable mass production of detailed, expressive images, making art accessible beyond elite circles. Daumier's masterful use of crayon-like strokes captured dynamic expressions and gritty realism, blending caricature with proto-Impressionist energy. Now part of the National Gallery of Art's Corcoran Collection, gifted by Dr. Armand Hammer, this print invites visitors to chuckle at human folly while reflecting on 1850s Parisian society. It's a testament to how Daumier turned the press into a mirror for the masses.

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...