Un Locataire qui paie exactement son terme

Executed in lithography, the print exploits the medium’s capacity for fine line work and tonal variation. Daumier renders the textures of fabric and the architectural steps with meticulous detail, while the contrast between illuminated steps and surrounding shadow creates a sense of depth uncommon in many of his caricatures.

The image belongs to Daumier’s prolific series of satirical prints produced for periodicals such as La Caricature and Le Charivari. Though originally published as a newspaper illustration, the lithograph entered the art market in the late 19th century and has since been held in several European public collections.

Mid‑19th‑century France was marked by political upheaval and the rise of a bourgeois class confronting new fiscal responsibilities. Daumier, a self‑identified republican, used his prints to comment on these social shifts, often focusing on the mundane yet telling moments of civic life that revealed broader economic pressures.