Allons bon... v'la le p'tit qui dit qu'il a bobo au ventre! - Honoré Daumier

A satirical lithograph from 1847 by Honoré Daumier, depicting a father and child in a humorous domestic scene from his Les Papas series.

This lithograph by Honoré Daumier, titled Allons bon... v'la le p'tit qui dit qu'il a bobo au ventre!, is part of his series Les Papas. Published in 1847, the work captures a domestic scene through the lens of social satire. Daumier depicts a father carrying his child through a Parisian street, while the mother follows behind. The father appears visibly inconvenienced by the child's complaint of a stomach ache, a common trope in Daumier's observations of bourgeois family life.

Daumier was a master of the lithographic medium, using it to document the social hierarchies and daily habits of nineteenth-century France. His line work is expressive and fluid, allowing him to convey character and movement with minimal strokes. The figures are rendered with a sense of caricature that avoids cruelty, focusing instead on the absurdity of everyday situations. The background is kept simple, ensuring the focus remains on the interaction between the figures. The cobblestone street and the surrounding buildings provide a sense of place, grounding the scene in the urban environment of Paris.

As a contributor to journals such as Le Charivari, Daumier produced thousands of prints that functioned as visual commentary on the political and social climate of his time. This specific piece demonstrates his ability to find humour in the mundane. The composition is balanced, with the father positioned centrally, his awkward posture reflecting his frustration. The print is a fine example of the artist's technical skill and his keen eye for human behaviour. It offers a glimpse into the domestic expectations and realities of the period, presented with the wit and observational clarity that define Daumier's body of work.