L'amateur de café c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, called "The Coffee Drinker", in France, likely in the 1840s, as part of his series called "Monomanes". These prints were published in newspapers and were aimed at the bourgeoisie, offering pointed social commentary. Daumier’s caricatures often targeted the vanity and self-deception of the monied classes. This image depicts a man, presumably middle-class, drinking coffee in a café. The text below the image suggests that this man has made an 'immutable rule' to drink coffee to aid digestion, even when his means do not permit him to dine. The print suggests he is more concerned with appearances than sustenance. Art historians consider the rise of the newspaper print as a turning point in visual culture. It allowed artists like Daumier to engage with the public sphere by critiquing social issues. The institutions of the press and the café became important sites for cultural commentary and political discourse, contributing to modern social life. To understand this image fully, scholars delve into periodicals, political records, and social histories.