The Laundress

Daumier, "the Michelangelo of caricature," rose to prominence as the caricaturist of 19th-century French politics and society. He came to painting fairly late in life and painted religious as well as historical themes. He also used everyday subjects, such as those shown in The Laundress, to provoke discussion about wider social issues. Daumier lived on the Quai d'Anjou and had plenty of opportunities to observe the attitudes of these washerwomen, who are returning from the lavoir on the Seine. Daumier painted three similar versions of this theme, the first of which appeared in the Salon in 1861.