Monsieur, Auriez-vous la bonté de me dire ... c. 19th century

This lithograph by Honoré Daumier presents a scene with two figures rendered in stark lines and contrasting tones. One figure, a robust bather, stands nearly nude, confronting a formally dressed man in a suit and top hat. The composition is dominated by the sharp contrast between the bather's raw physicality and the clothed man’s bourgeois formality. The artist uses line and form to communicate a social critique. The bather’s exaggerated musculature and direct gaze contrast with the slender, almost caricatured figure of the clothed man. This juxtaposition destabilizes conventional social hierarchies, challenging the perceived power of the bourgeoisie. Daumier uses the semiotic language of dress and body to explore themes of class and social tension. The linear hatching and cross-hatching create a sense of depth and texture, emphasizing the contrast between the figures and highlighting their physical and social distance. This formal strategy encourages us to question the established meanings of appearance and status, recognizing the fluid and contested nature of social identity.