Jacques Bonhomme: Sorry, Madam, but you are really too decrepit!
Original title: Jacques Bonhomme: Sorry, Madam, but you are really too decrepit!, from 'News of the day,' published in Le Charivari, June 8, 1872
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's lithograph from 1872 presents Jacques Bonhomme, the embodiment of the French people, facing a monarchy drawn as an old, frail woman. The print appeared on 8 June 1872 in the satirical journal Le Charivari, within the series 'News of the day', and is here in the second of two states.
Description
Two figures fill the image: on the left stands Jacques Bonhomme in a simple shirt and trousers, his right hand extended, his gaze neutral to doubtful. Opposite him appears a woman in a long coat bearing the word 'MONARCHIE'; her body looks crippled and almost skeletal, her face distorted and exhausted. The caption gives the wording: 'JACQUES BONHOMME. — Merci, ma vieille, trop décrépite!...' (Jacques Bonhomme. — Thank you, my old one, you are really too decrepit!...). Black and white dominate the sheet, the strokes are sharp and detailed, the light falls evenly, without visible shadows.
Context
The lithograph was made after the Franco-Prussian War and the end of the Second Empire, at the time of the proclaimed Third Republic. In his series 'News of the day', Daumier took up current political events and social controversies. Jacques Bonhomme often served then as a symbol of the ordinary French citizen. The drawing of the monarchy as a frail old woman refers to the debate about a possible restoration, controversially conducted in the National Assembly.
Impact
The caricatural exaggeration of the monarchy into a decrepit, almost bony figure has a satirical effect and emphasizes the supposed outmodedness of the institution. Jacques Bonhomme's calm, almost composed stance contrasts with the woman's deformation and reinforces the impression of a bygone era. Through the clear layout and precise lines, the print remains immediately understandable and memorable.
Technique
Lithograph on newsprint – a common process for Daumier that allowed quick and inexpensive print runs. The drawing was made with greasy chalk on lithographic limestone and then transferred to paper. Sharp, detailed lines and an even grey tone characterize Daumier's lithographic working method, which he used for political caricatures in journals.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)