Artwork
Est-ce que votre mari serait jaloux...
Est-ce que votre mari serait jaloux... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Honoré Daumier. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1845, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier presents a brief street encounter that captures a moment of tension.
Created in 1845, this lithograph by Honoré Daumier presents a brief street encounter that captures a moment of tension. The composition features three figures: a top‑hat‑wearing man leaning toward a woman in a long dress, while a second man watches with crossed arms, his expression suggesting irritation. The sketchy line work and crowded urban backdrop convey the immediacy of everyday life in mid‑century Paris.
Subject & Meaning
The print satirically examines domestic and social relations, hinting at jealousy or clandestine conversation suggested by the title’s question about a husband’s possible envy. By juxtaposing an intimate gesture with a disapproving onlooker, Daumier critiques the pretensions of bourgeois propriety and the underlying power dynamics within the private sphere of the French capital.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the work relies on rapid, gestural strokes that emphasize movement and emotional nuance. Daumier’s characteristic use of exaggerated proportions and loose rendering of clothing and architecture creates a lively, almost theatrical scene, while the contrast between the crisp top hat and the ragged background buildings underscores class distinctions.
Context
Produced during a period of political volatility between the 1830 Revolution and the eventual collapse of the Second Empire, the lithograph reflects Daumier’s republican sympathies. His frequent contributions to satirical journals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari used humor to challenge the monarchy, aristocracy, and emerging bourgeois class, making this image a visual commentary on contemporary social tensions.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Honoré-Victorin Daumier (French: ; 26 February 1808 – 10 or 11 February 1879) was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the…
La Carotte de l'élection
Allons bon!... voila que'elle me cueille une rose...
V'la un particulier qui doit ...être inquiet ...
J'la croyais mieux qu'ça ...
Ah! Gringalet d'Paris... tu viendras faire danser...
Un Chateau en Espagne
Un Début a la chasse
Une promenade conjugale
Une Nouvelle connaissance
Femme de lettre humanitaire se livrant sur l'homme ...