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Can you see a messenger coming from St. Petersburg? – I can only see dusty dust ! and you, what do you see from the direction of Constantinople? – All I see is wavy waves.
Public Domain

Honoré Daumier

Can you see a messenger coming from St. Petersburg? – I can only see dusty dust ! and you, what do you see from the direction of Constantinople? – All I see is wavy waves.

1853

Scroll

Honoré Daumier

Can you see a messenger coming from St. Petersburg? – I can only see dusty dust ! and you, what do you see from the direction of Constantinople? – All I see is wavy waves.

1853

Physical Qualities Crayon lithograph, Sheet: 250 × 209 mm. (9 13/16 × 8 1/4 in.)
Portfolio/Series Plate 49 from the series "Actualités"
Credit Line Nelson and Juanita Greif Gutman Collection
Object Number 1963.313.53

Artist

Honoré Daumier

French, 1808-1879

Meet Honoré Daumier

Explore the Collection Further

Honoré Daumier
Nadar Elevating Photography to Art
1862
Honoré Daumier
The President Shouting at the Top of Her Voice. Ladies, you are fromally violating § 3 of our constitution which states that no more than five graduates may talk at the same time... I call you to order... silence! Well, since ringing my bell seems to have no effect, I suspend that meeting and take my hat!... Now you can all do what you want!
1844
Charles Maurand and Honoré Daumier
Un Guichet de théatre.
1862
Honoré Daumier
Listen carefully! If you are being asked for arabic Racahout to fatten all kinds of sultanas (women in a harem), for arabian Nafé for suckling children of all ages, for oriental Kaiffa to cure gastritis or corns, for Theobrome against vomiting, for Amandine, Indostane, Osman-Iglou, Paraguay-Roux, Criosote, Chocolat of Salep, Hypocras, white mustard to treat black moods, tooth ache and overweight, or Giant Cabbage seed, you will find it all in this bag, make no mistake!! You can sell it as a powder, ointment, solution or pellets, as you see fit. - Damnit! What kind of pellets are these anyway? - They are fool's pellets of the highest quality. - Splendid, splendid!
1837
Unknown Artist and Honoré Daumier
Croquade Divers
1840
Honoré Daumier
The Chevalier des Adrets is the lover of a woman of the world. He is amiable and fervent, he pretends to be passionate and devoted... one day, an alleged bailiff and an alleged bill of exchange fall like a clap of thunder into the midst of the most tender effusion of feeling... "Oh! My God!! The Baron de Wormspire, a so-called friend, has had the impudence to have me thrown into prison... He's ruined my good fortune, separated me from what I love! Oh! Friends!! What are friends?... There's no such thing as a friend!!!..." The poor woman, poor dupe, casts off her jewels, gives him everything she can, borrows, ruins herself, only to discover too late that her knight is only a knight of industry, a right Robert Macaire.
1838
Alfred Prunaire and Honoré Daumier
The Grand Stairway of the Palais de Justice
c. 1903
Honoré Daumier
The Oyster. (You'll wake me up at dinner time.) Big, fat, thick, plump, greedy, wakes up only for the purpose of taking in food and sleeps only for the purpose of digesting it. The oyster does not eat for living, but lives for eating. Its locomotive and industrial apparatus are non existent. It vegetates on the spot and its existence is manifested only by the exactitude, the number and the quality of the meals. The entire energy of the oyster is located in the stomach. One might call it an animal of pleasure, its only mission in life being to consume without working, while others work without consuming. It seems to be perfectly at ease with this providential mission. (Lacépède – Natural History.)
1837
Alfred Prunaire and Honoré Daumier
The Grand Stairway of the Palais de Justice
c. 1903
Honoré Daumier
Mr.Lifeguard.... is it true there are sharks at Dieppe? - Of course... but it is pretty simple... as soon as you see one coming to eat you, all you have to do is lay down sideways. He won't eat you for fear of choking to death.
1858
Alfred Prunaire and Honoré Daumier
The Grand Stairway of the Palais de Justice
n.d.
Honoré Daumier
The other day, I pulled off another smart trick... I had set up a firm with a capital of ten million francs to exploit top boots in cardboard ... I had placed only eight shares worth a petty 1200 francs... I called together my eight shareholders and held forth in something like the following manner: "Ah! Good-day ye strolling gentlemen, how handsome you are, how fine you seem!" I promised them more cheese than bread, I gave them a 50% dividend, I warmed them up a bit and let them simmer... The following day they couldn't get hold of my shares fast enough, I placed all of them and at the next meeting I said: "The last time I did the books I made a mistake. I forgot to take into account the price of the cardboard and its fabrication. You must return the dividend I gave you, I'm going to hold it back... I put down nothing and kept back the r
1838