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A Landlord. – Oh! Mr. de Macaire, you wouldn’t turn us out into the street just for being a miserable quarter late with our rent… – Where else should I put you, by devil? – But we’ve spent 30’000Fr. in your shop!… – That’s another reason, it all comes back to me… – And my four poor small children?… – What the heavens is that to do with me. I didn’t ask you to have them!…
Public Domain

Honoré Daumier

A Landlord. – Oh! Mr. de Macaire, you wouldn’t turn us out into the street just for being a miserable quarter late with our rent… – Where else should I put you, by devil? – But we’ve spent 30’000Fr. in your shop!… – That’s another reason, it all comes back to me… – And my four poor small children?… – What the heavens is that to do with me. I didn’t ask you to have them!…

1837

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A Landlord. – Oh! Mr. de Macaire, you wouldn’t turn us out into the street just for being a miserable quarter late with our rent… – Where else should I put you, by devil? – But we’ve spent 30’000Fr. in your shop!… – That’s another reason, it all comes back to me… – And my four poor small children?… – What the heavens is that to do with me. I didn’t ask you to have them!…

Honoré Daumier

A Landlord. – Oh! Mr. de Macaire, you wouldn’t turn us out into the street just for being a miserable quarter late with our rent… – Where else should I put you, by devil? – But we’ve spent 30’000Fr. in your shop!… – That’s another reason, it all comes back to me… – And my four poor small children?… – What the heavens is that to do with me. I didn’t ask you to have them!…

Honoré Daumier

A Landlord. – Oh! Mr. de Macaire, you wouldn’t turn us out into the street just for being a miserable quarter late with our rent… – Where else should I put you, by devil? – But we’ve spent 30’000Fr. in your shop!… – That’s another reason, it all comes back to me… – And my four poor small children?… – What the heavens is that to do with me. I didn’t ask you to have them!…

1837

Physical Qualities Crayon lithograph with hand coloring, Sheet: 212 × 271 mm. (8 3/8 × 10 11/16 in.)
Portfolio/Series Plate 49 from the series "Caricaturana"
Credit Line Given in Memory of Joseph Katz by his Children
Object Number 1963.109.25

Artist

Honoré Daumier

French, 1808-1879

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BY SAME ARTIST
PRINTS, DRAWINGS & PHOTOGRAPHS
NADAR ELEVATING PHOTOGRAPHY TO ART
Honoré Daumier
Nadar Elevating Photography to Art
1862
ROBERT MACAIRE, SOLLICITOR. - WE'VE WON, MY DEAR FELLOW, WON ON EVERY COUNT! - AND ABOUT TIME TOO. A CASE WHICH HAS LASTED TEN YEARS AND HAS RUINED ME! - BETTER LATE THAN NEVER! - HOW MUCH DID I GET BACK IN THE END? - HERE YOU ARE: THE COURT AWARDED YOU 12'000 FR, WE TOTALLED 13'500 FR IN EXPENSES, YOU ONLY OWE ME 1'500 FR. - BUT THAT MEANS I LOSE 1'500 FR . - YES, BUT YOU'VE WON YOUR CASE.
Honoré Daumier
Robert Macaire, sollicitor. - We've won, my dear fellow, won on every count! - And about time too. A case which has lasted ten years and has ruined me! - Better late than never! - How much did I get back in the end? - Here you are: The court awarded you 12'000 Fr, we totalled 13'500 Fr in expenses, you only owe me 1'500 Fr. - But that means I lose 1'500 Fr . - Yes, but you've won your case.
1836
UN GUICHET DE THÉATRE.
Charles Maurand and Honoré Daumier
Un Guichet de théatre.
1862
ROBERT MACAIRE BUSINESS AGENT. - BY THE DEVIL! IT'S REALLY ADMIRABLE OF YOU TO BREAK YOUR BACK TO PAY OFF YOUR DEBTS, MY GOOD CHAP, WIPE THEM OUT AT ONCE! - BUT HOW? - GOOD HEAVENS! BRING ME YOUR BOOKS, I'LL PUT THEM IN ORDER, IT'S MY SPECIALTY, WE'LL SETTLE FOR A FEW LIABILITIES, A LARGE NUMBER OF ASSETS, WE'LL ASSEMBLE YOUR CREDITORS, WE'LL OFFER FIVE PERCENT TO BE PAID OVER TEN YEARS, YOU WON'T GIVE THEM ANYTHING DURING THE TEN YEARS, IN TEN Y
Honoré Daumier
Robert Macaire business agent. - By the devil! It's really admirable of you to break your back to pay off your debts, my good chap, wipe them out at once! - But how? - Good heavens! Bring me your books, I'll put them in order, it's my specialty, we'll settle for a few liabilities, a large number of assets, we'll assemble your creditors, we'll offer five percent to be paid over ten years, you won't give them anything during the ten years, in ten years' time you'll start again, your creditors will be dead, the debts forgotten and nobody will say a word about it.
1837
CROQUADE DIVERS
Unknown Artist and Honoré Daumier
Croquade Divers
1840
YES MADAME, I AM WITH ALL MY AVAILABLE MEANS DEVOUT TO OUR AUGUST PRINCE; ALL I NEED ARE SOME MISERABLE HUNDRED THOUSAND FRANCS TO ESTABLISH HIS ACCESSION TO THE THRONE. - AND WHAT ARE YOUR MEANS? - MY MEANS! I HAVE PLENTY OF THEM. I HAVE FRIENDS, NEWSPAPERS, AND IF THE ENTIRE MACAIRE FAMILY SUPPORTS HIM, NEVER A PRINCE HAD SUCH A HUGE ARMY AT HIS SERVICE.
Honoré Daumier
Yes Madame, I am with all my available means devout to our August Prince; all I need are some miserable hundred thousand francs to establish his accession to the throne. - And what are your means? - My means! I have plenty of them. I have friends, newspapers, and if the entire Macaire family supports him, never a prince had such a huge army at his service.
1841
THE GRAND STAIRWAY OF THE PALAIS DE JUSTICE
Alfred Prunaire and Honoré Daumier
The Grand Stairway of the Palais de Justice
c. 1903
DAMNED LANDLORD!... YOU ARE THE SOURCE OF ALL MY TROUBLES. IT WAS YOU WHO INSISTED TO BE PORTRAYED BY ME TO COVER THE OUTSTANDING RENT.... NOW THE JURY HAS REJECTED MY PAINTINGS SAYING THEY WERE JUST TOO UGLY! I AM SURE IT WASN'T MY WORK THEY FOUND TO BE HORRIBLE.... IT WAS YOUR FACE!
Honoré Daumier
Damned landlord!... You are the source of all my troubles. It was you who insisted to be portrayed by me to cover the outstanding rent.... now the jury has rejected my paintings saying they were just too ugly! I am sure it wasn't my work they found to be horrible.... it was your face!
1859
THE GRAND STAIRWAY OF THE PALAIS DE JUSTICE
Alfred Prunaire and Honoré Daumier
The Grand Stairway of the Palais de Justice
c. 1903
HOW TO BECOME A GREAT MATHEMATICIAN. MONSIEUR MOUTONNET, YOU HAVE MADE YET ANOTHER ERROR IN YOUR CALCULATIONS... COPY OUT FOR ME SIX TIMES THE VERB: I HAVE MADE A MISTAKE IN MY ADDITION! (MR. MOUTONNET, NOW FURIOUS, ANSWERS BACK WITH SOME SIGNS, WHICH REALLY HAVE VERY LITTLE IN COMMON WITH ALGEBRA)
Honoré Daumier
How to Become a Great Mathematician. Monsieur Moutonnet, you have made yet another error in your calculations... copy out for me six times the verb: I have made a mistake in my addition! (Mr. Moutonnet, now furious, answers back with some signs, which really have very little in common with algebra)
1845
THE GRAND STAIRWAY OF THE PALAIS DE JUSTICE
Alfred Prunaire and Honoré Daumier
The Grand Stairway of the Palais de Justice
n.d.
ROBERT MACAIRE, PROFESSOR OF INDUSTRY. HERE'S AN EXAMPLE. BUY A NEW PROCESS, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH, OR WHETHER IT'S GOOD OR BAD, BUY IT FOR 600F, 500F, 25F, FOR AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. CREATE 500'000F WORTH OF SHARES, AS MANY AS POSSIBLE. MAKE OUT MONSTER ADVERTISEMENTS, MONSTER POSTERS, MONSTER PROMISES. MAKE THE CAPITAL, POCKET IT, PUT THE KEY UNDER THE DOOR, FILE YOUR BANKRUPTCY PAPERS, THAT'S TO SAY THE COMPANY'S PAPERS... THAT'S THE END OF
Honoré Daumier
Robert Macaire, Professor of Industry. Here's an example. Buy a new process, it doesn't matter which, or whether it's good or bad, buy it for 600F, 500F, 25F, for as little as possible. Create 500'000F worth of shares, as many as possible. Make out monster advertisements, monster posters, monster promises. Make the capital, pocket it, put the key under the door, file your bankruptcy papers, that's to say the company's papers... that's the end of that little game. You then go on to another.
1837