"It is good that he caoxes and flatters her in front of her husband." from the Little Miseries of Human Life

Art Historical Context

This 1843 wood engraving, titled “It is good that he caresses and flatters her in front of her husband,” belongs to the series *Little Miseries of Human Life*, a witty exploration of everyday social awkwardness. Designed by the celebrated French caricaturist J. J. Grandville and engraved by Auguste Barbant, Henri Fournier, and others, the print captures the subtle tensions of 19th-century French society under the July Monarchy. Grandville’s sharp eye for human folly turns an ordinary domestic scene into a gentle satire on flattery, jealousy, and polite hypocrisy. Wood engraving, with its crisp lines and ability to reproduce fine detail, was ideally suited to such illustrated books and periodicals, allowing Grandville’s imaginative compositions to reach a wide audience. The compact sheet size—roughly the dimensions of a page in a popular album—further suggests it was meant for intimate viewing, inviting viewers to chuckle at their own social missteps. Today the print offers a charming window into the period’s manners and morals, reminding us that the small embarrassments of life have changed little over the centuries.

About the Artist

Auguste Barbant|Henri Fournier|J. J. Grandville|Paul-Emile-Daurand Forgues (French|French|French|French) · 1838 |1803 |1813 | –1900 |1847 |1883 |

French, born Paris 1838|French, Nancy 1803–1847 Vanves|French, Paris 1813–1883 Cannes|