Eh! Qu'est-ce qu'il y a de nouveau? ... c. 19th century

This lithograph titled "Eh! Qu'est-ce qu'il y a de nouveau?..." was created by Honoré Daumier, a 19th-century French printmaker. Daumier was known for his satirical commentary on French society, particularly the lives of the working class during the July Monarchy and the Second Republic. In the image, we see a woman, returning home with a basket. She is met by a man at the door. The words at the bottom of the image are from the dialogue: she asks "What's new?" and he replies "Sir, the whiting has become even more expensive since yesterday!... I was saying that we were going to starve." Through this conversation, Daumier highlights the economic hardships faced by ordinary people. The expressions on their faces are important here; they suggest the quiet desperation of daily life. Daumier's focus on the working class was both novel and political. It challenged the art world's traditional focus on the aristocracy, and it serves as a reminder that poverty and hunger are not new issues.