Le Désespoir des Bouchers, from Actualités, published in Le Charivari, November 21, 1857

Art Historical Context

**Le Désespoir des Bouchers** is a lively lithograph from the *Actualités* series, in the satirical newspaper *Le Charari* on November , 1857. Created collaboratively by Honoré Daumier, a master of 19th-century French caricature, alongside Aaron Martinet and Destouches, this third-state impression captures the era's biting social commentary. Printed on inexpensive newsprint (sheet: 10 3/8 × 12 13/16 in.), it reflects the democratizing power of lithography, allowing rapid dissemination of humor and critique to a wide Parisian audience amid the Second Empire's political tensions. The title, "The Despair of the Butchers," evokes a scene of frantic men and women—likely tradespeople in distress—highlighting everyday economic woes or regulatory absurdities through Daumier's signature style. His expressive, realistic figures, crammed with exaggerated emotion, blend caricature with profound social observation, poking fun at urban life while critiquing authority. As part of *Le Charivari*'s tradition of topical satire, it commented on current events, making art accessible and provocative. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Rogers Fund, 1922), this modest print exemplifies how lithography fueled public discourse, inviting us to chuckle at history's frustrations while appreciating Daumier's enduring wit.