Tu connais bien l'gros député d'en face ... c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, "You know the big deputy opposite..." sometime in the mid-19th century. It portrays a group of working-class men, one of whom is commenting on the earnings of a politician. Daumier was a master of social commentary, using his art to critique the bourgeoisie and expose the plight of the working class in France. Here, the visual contrast between the weary, huddled figures of the workers and the implied opulence of the deputy highlights the economic disparities of the time. The text underlines the inequity, noting the deputy's daily wage compared to the meager earnings of someone working on commission. Daumier's prints were often published in newspapers, making them accessible to a wide audience and serving as a form of visual activism. To fully understand Daumier's work, we can turn to period newspapers, political pamphlets, and social histories that expose the context in which he was working. The power of art lies in its ability to reflect and challenge the social structures of its time.