Early morning visit of a creditor concerning the boots, plate 4 from Émotions Parisiennes 1839

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph, "Early morning visit of a creditor concerning the boots", using a greasy crayon on a block of limestone, exploiting the chemical antipathy between grease and water. The drawn line, so critical to this image of debt and confrontation, allows for incredible detail in the characters' expressions, as well as the textures of the wallpaper and bedclothes. Look closely at the boots discarded on the floor – key to the narrative. Boot-making at this time was still largely a handcraft, with skilled artisans shaping and stitching leather. The boots represent the labor of those artisans, and the debt incurred in their purchase embodies the social tensions Daumier often explored. Lithography was a relatively new medium in the 19th century, allowing for the mass production of images. Through this technique, Daumier's social commentary reached a broad audience, bringing the economic realities of Parisian life to light. The print is both a work of art and a document of its time, blurring the lines between fine art and social critique.