Oh! Mon ami...., j'ai peur de ces gens-là..., from Au Camp de Saint-Maur, published in Le Charivari, August 30, 1859

Art Historical Context

In the bustling world of 19th-century Parisian satire, Honoré Daumier, alongside collaborators Destouches and printer Aaron Martinet, createdOh! Mon ami...., j'ai peur de ces-là...* (Oh! My friend..., I'm afraid of these people published in the iconic newspaper *Le Chariv* on August 30, 1859. This lithograph, part of the series *Au Camp de Saint-M*, captures Daumier's signature style of sharp social commentary through exaggerated, expressive figures. The second state of five, printed on newsprint, reflects the era's innovative use of lithography for affordable, mass-distributed caricatures that critiqued French society under Napoleon III. The image likely satirizes bourgeois anxiety amid military camps at Saint-Maur, evoking the period's tensions during the 1859 Franco-Austrian War and Italian unification efforts. A frightened figure recoils from a boisterous crowd of men—perhaps soldiers or laborers—highlighting class divides and the era's political unease. Daumier's masterful line work and dynamic compositions amplify the humor and pathos, making the elite's fears comically palpable. As a prime example of Second Empire satire, this work from The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection underscores lithography's role in democratizing art and dissent, inviting viewers to laugh at—and reflect on—timeless human follies.

About the Artist

Destouches|Aaron Martinet|Honoré Daumier (French|French) · 1808 |1800 –1879 |1900

French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|Paris