Apotheker verkoopt een zalf 1844

This is Honoré Daumier’s lithograph, "Apotheker verkoopt een zalf," made in the 19th century. Daumier lived through a tumultuous period in French history, marked by political upheaval and social change. He was known for his satirical commentary on the bourgeoisie. Here, we see a pharmacist selling an ointment. He is speaking to a customer, while another man sits in the background. The pharmacist, with his refined attire, embodies the bourgeois class, often the target of Daumier's critique. The lithograph is from a series entitled "Les Philanthropes du Jour" (The philanthropists of the day). The text below the image reads, "Devoted, by state and by sentiment, to the purest philanthropy, I spared myself no pains to discover a paste even more regnauld than all that has been done." What’s fascinating is how Daumier uses humor to expose the hypocrisy and self-interest that he saw within the bourgeoisie. Through his art, Daumier invites us to reflect on the complexities of human nature and the contradictions within society. He reminds us that philanthropy can be performative.