"We drew and barricaded ourselves in my kitchen; it truly a state of seige." from the Little Miseries of Human Life

Art Historical Context

This 1843 wood engraving captures a delightfully absurd domestic scene from the illustrated series *Little Miseries of Human Life*. The title, “We drew and barricaded ourselves in my kitchen; it truly a state of siege,” suggests a humorous exaggeration of everyday household chaos, with men and women comically fortifying themselves against some unseen domestic threat. Created during France’s July Monarchy, the print reflects the era’s taste for light-hearted social satire that poked fun at bourgeois life and its small frustrations. The work is a collaborative effort involving illustrator J. J. Grandville, whose whimsical and often anthropomorphic style influenced many 19th-century caricaturists, along with engravers Auguste Barbant, Henri Fournier, and Paul-Emile-Daurand Forgues. Wood engraving allowed for fine detail and mass reproduction, making such images widely accessible through books and periodicals. Measuring just over 11 by 7 inches, the sheet exemplifies how prints democratized art, bringing witty commentary on human folly into ordinary homes. Today housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this piece offers a charming window into 1840s French visual culture, where humor and craftsmanship intertwined to celebrate life’s minor tribulations.

About the Artist

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

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