Well, if you look very closely, you might end up finding some quality! The color seems to be good, from 'Sketches from the Salon,' published in Le Charivari, June 16, 1865

Art Historical Context

Step into the witty world of 19th-century French satire with this lithograph by Honoré Daumier, collaborators Destouches and Aaron Mart. Titled *Well, if you look very closely, might end up finding some! The color seems to good*, it appeared in the June 16, 1865, issue of *Le Charivari* as part of Daumier's "Sket from the Salon" series Daumier, a virtuoso of caricature and a key figure in Realism, skewered the pretensions of the Paris Salon's annual art exhibition, where ambitious (and often mediocre) works vied for attention amid the Second Empire's cultural buzz. Crafted as a first-state proof—a rare pre-publication impression—this piece combines lithography with pen and brown ink on humble newsprint, measuring just 9 × 8 inches. Lithography allowed Daumier to produce sharp, expressive lines in large quantities for the masses, making highbrow critique accessible. Here, the image likely depicts art critics or viewers squinting at a lackluster painting, their exaggerated scrutiny amplifying the humor in phrases like "the color seems to be good." Held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this print captures Daumier's enduring legacy: using art to lampoon society's vanities. It reminds us that even in 1865, the art world sparked debates on quality—and that a keen eye (or laugh) reveals more than surface polish.

About the Artist

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

French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois|Paris