"Is my Wife at home? Yes, monsieur, and your cousin too...," plate 4 from Tout ce qu'on voudra 1847

This lithograph is from the series "Tout ce qu'on voudra" by Honoré Daumier. Note the seemingly innocuous question posed by the man and the maid’s loaded response; it’s a play on the cuckoldry motif, a symbol of marital infidelity. The image has roots tracing back to ancient theatrical traditions, where the horns of a cuckold were a comedic trope. This motif, laden with shame and dishonor, finds its echo in numerous works across centuries, a continuous thread in the tapestry of human experience. The man's weary posture and the knowing look of the maid evoke a deep sense of unease, tapping into a collective fear of betrayal. The cuckold figure, often ridiculed, embodies the psychological weight of social stigma. This caricature serves as a reminder of the cyclical nature of human follies, continually reappearing in different guises.