“- Here, my wife, is my daguerreotype portrait which I brought back for you from Paris... - Why didn't you have mine done while you were there... get lost, you egotist!,” plate 28 from Les Bons Bourgeois 1846

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph titled, “Here, my wife, is my daguerreotype portrait…” in the mid-19th century. The composition is dominated by the stark contrast between the figures and the hatched lines of the background, creating a visually arresting scene. Daumier’s use of caricature amplifies the tension between the man and woman. The man, smugly presenting his portrait, is rendered with exaggerated features, while the woman’s sharp retort underscores a critique of bourgeois vanity. The lines articulate this domestic drama, from the husband's self-satisfied smirk to the wife's posture of annoyance. Daumier employs the emerging technology of the daguerreotype, not merely as a recording device but as a symbol of self-obsession. The seemingly benign object becomes a flashpoint for exposing deeper social hypocrisies. This lithograph functions as a mirror reflecting the complex power dynamics within the bourgeois class.