L'inconvénient d'avoir des domestiques ... c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, “The Problem with Having Servants Who Are Too Merry,” to be published in the French newspaper Le Charivari. Daumier was well-known for his satirical takes on French society during the 19th century. In this drawing, Daumier captures the chaotic scene of a bourgeois couple caught up in a lively dance. They are so engrossed that they fail to notice the overturned furniture and the fallen maid, who lies on the floor beside her scrubbing brush. What are we to make of this scene? Daumier was known for his progressive politics, and his images often critiqued the bourgeoisie, and championed the working class. In "The Problem with Having Servants," Daumier seems to be highlighting the obliviousness and excesses of the middle class, who are so consumed by their own pleasure that they are blind to the labor and humanity of those who serve them. The image, with its frenetic energy, offers an emotional critique of class dynamics.