Je crois que je tiens un lièvre ... c. 19th century

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph in 19th-century France. The cartoon depicts a bourgeois hunter, gun raised, thinking he has found a hare, only to be confronted by a peasant demanding to see his hunting permit. Daumier, working during the July Monarchy and the Second Empire, frequently satirized the bourgeoisie. Here, he uses the visual codes of dress and setting to highlight social divisions and the pretensions of the middle class. The hunter, in his top hat and city clothes, is an intruder in the rural space, a figure of fun for his ignorance of country ways. The print reflects the increasing tension between urban and rural populations, and between different social classes, as France modernized. Daumier's work appeared in journals like "Le Charivari," and was aimed at a broad audience. To fully understand Daumier's satire, we need to examine the social history of 19th-century France, exploring sources like newspapers, journals, and government documents, to reveal the complex dynamics of class, power, and representation.