Relaxation during the dog days, plate 33 from Les Bons Bourgeois

From the Art Institute of Chicago record

Daumier dedicated several series over the course of his career to mocking the rising middle class in Paris. One way to efficiently strip the bourgeoisie of their dignity was to remove their clothing, and Daumier produced numerous scenes of middle-class swimmers, both male and female. In this print, both men cling to some vestige of dress—one carries his parasol, while the second continues to wear his top hat, a symbol of the bourgeoisie, even when half submerged in water. These accessories only emphasize how much these men must depend on their clothing to prove their status.