Plate 36: Well? Well? What about your dowry?, from 'Caricaturana,' published in Les Robert Macaires

Art Historical Context

Step into the satirical world of 19th-century France with *Plate 36: Well? Well? What about yourry?* from *Caricaturana*, published in *Les Robert Macaires (1838). Created by master caricaturist Honoré Daier under the direction of publisher Charles Philipon, with printing by Aubert et Cie Junca, this lith captures the sharp wit of Paris's burgeoning satirical press. During the July Monarchy,on and Daumier journals like *Le Chariv* to lampoon social hypocrisies, with the scheming Robert Macaire as their cynical anti-hero symbolizing greed and corruption. The image humorously skewers marriage customs, as a suitor presses a woman (or her representative) on her dowry with the insistent query, "Well? Well?"—highlighting how financial arrangements often trumped romance in bourgeois society. Daumier's exaggerated expressions and dynamic poses bring biting realism to these everyday follies, making viewers chuckle while reflecting on class and gender dynamics. Printed as a lithograph on wove paper (third state of three, per Delteil), this affordable medium revolutionized caricature distribution, reaching wide audiences. Now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (gift of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1953), it exemplifies how art fueled political and social discourse in an era of censorship and change. (198 words)

About the Artist

Charles Philipon|Aubert et Cie|Honoré Daumier|Junca|Aubert et Cie · 1800–1862

French, Lyons 1800–1862 Paris