Jean Charles Besnard 1849

Honore Daumier made this lithograph of Jean Charles Besnard in 1869. Daumier was known for his caricatures of French politicians and members of the bourgeoisie, using his art to critique the social and political issues of his time. Here, Besnard, a member of the French upper class, is caught in a moment of longing, gazing at the pastries in a shop window. Daumier exaggerates Besnard’s features, particularly his nose and chin, to create a comical effect, highlighting the self-importance and perhaps the superficiality of the bourgeois class. The meticulous rendering of Besnard’s clothing contrasts with the roughly sketched pastries, drawing attention to the man’s social status and material desires. To understand Daumier's art fully, one would benefit from consulting the archives of journals like Le Charivari, for which he produced many lithographs. Contextualizing the image within the history of French political satire would allow us to appreciate the art as a form of social commentary.