“- Should be a great performance today, Mr.Galuchet... - I should think so... A murder case with a rape thrown in...,” plate 31 from Les Gens De Justice 1847

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph titled “- Should be a great performance today, Mr. Galuchet… - I should think so… A murder case with a rape thrown in…” as part of his series “Les Gens De Justice,” or “The People of Justice.” Daumier was a critical observer of 19th-century French society, particularly during the reign of Louis-Philippe. This print exemplifies Daumier’s satirical commentary on the French legal system, revealing how justice could be perceived as a theatrical performance, rather than a pursuit of truth and equity. The text below the image reveals the dark humor and cynicism: “We have a great performance today, Mr. Galuchet! Indeed, I believe so… a murder case with a rape thrown in!” Daumier doesn’t simply critique the legal profession; he exposes a deeper societal issue. The lithograph serves as a commentary on power, justice, and the human condition, inviting us to reflect on the structures that govern our societies, and on the human cost of a system that sometimes seems more interested in spectacle than in justice.