“Monsieur, Monsieur, here's your handkerchief. Madame has put some Eau de Cologne on it and she said you should ask at the Guard whether you might get a foot warmer,” plate 47 from Moeurs Conjugales 1842

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph titled “Monsieur, Monsieur, here's your handkerchief. Madame has put some Eau de Cologne on it and she said you should ask at the Guard whether you might get a foot warmer,” in 19th-century France. Daumier made a name for himself through social satire, holding a mirror up to the bourgeoisie. Here, the artist captures a seemingly mundane moment. A woman, presumably a wife, rushes out into the rain to deliver a handkerchief to her husband, a member of the National Guard. Yet, Daumier elevates this interaction into a commentary on gender roles and class expectations. The husband, burdened by his military obligations, strides forward, seemingly unfazed by his wife's concern. She, in turn, embodies the dutiful and caring spouse, braving the elements to ensure his comfort. The rain, rendered with frantic lines, mirrors the anxieties and pressures of bourgeois life. The story is a bittersweet reflection on the ties that bind, and the subtle power dynamics that simmer beneath the surface of daily life.