“- Mr. Colimard, if you don't stop immediately ogling the dancers in such an unseemly manner, I will take you home before the end of the performance!,” plate 4 from Croquis Pris Au Théatre par Daumier 1864

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, “Mr. Colimard, if you don't stop immediately ogling the dancers in such an unseemly manner, I will take you home before the end of the performance!” in nineteenth-century France. Daumier was a master of social satire, known for his pointed commentary on the bourgeoisie. Here, he captures a moment of tension and gendered power dynamics at the theater. The older gentleman, presumably Mr. Colimard, is caught in the act of leering at the dancers through his opera glasses. Beside him sits a woman, perhaps his wife, whose stern expression and sharp words aim to curtail his wandering gaze. The scene speaks volumes about the social mores of the time, where public displays of female sexuality were both a spectacle and a source of anxiety. The older woman's reaction reflects a desire to maintain control and decorum in a society where female bodies were often objectified and policed. Daumier’s print invites us to consider how power, gender, and desire intersect.